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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23923726">Comatose Memories</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardPlatypus13/pseuds/AwkwardPlatypus13'>AwkwardPlatypus13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Additional Tags May Be Added, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy(?) End, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Coma, Gen, Healing, IDOLiSH7 Part 4 Spoilers, Medical Inaccuracies, What if IDOLiSH7 was all just Riku's coma dream, kinda like It's a Wonderful Life but not really</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:07:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23923726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardPlatypus13/pseuds/AwkwardPlatypus13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The hospital heart rate monitor beeped relentlessly, yet Tenn couldn’t complain. That consistent, even rhythm meant that his brother was still clinging on. Still breathing, still waiting for the right time to wake up. The doctors said that after seven years of being stuck in this coma, there really wasn’t much hope of him waking up and being mentally sound. But that couldn’t dissuade Tenn from still visiting Riku and keeping him in as healthy a condition as he possibly could. Someday, he knew his brother would wake up. But what would he be like when he finally does?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kujou Ten &amp; Nanase Riku, Kujou Ten &amp; Nanase parents, Nanase Riku &amp; Basically Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>266</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Brother's Keeper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First off, this started off as me just coming up with a crack theory on why nobody in i7 seems to age, despite time moving onward in canon. Please forgive me for this massive ball of angst, and please bear with it until it comes to a hopefully semi-happy ending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     A sterile hospital room, though not devoid of personal touches. It was nothing fancy, just the hospital bed, a small side table with a couple drawers, a sink, and room for two chairs. There was a bouquet of fresh flowers on the window sill, and a few family photos arranged on the side table. In the hospital bed lay a redheaded teen around nineteen years old, hooked up to several monitors and bags and wearing an oxygen mask. A boy of the same age was rinsing out a bucket and ringing out a washcloth in the sink.</p><p>     “Now that your sponge bath is done, I suppose I should make my way back to Rouge Pirouette before Kujou-san notices I’ve been gone all day.” He spoke casually to the sleeping boy, as if he were talking to someone who was awake.</p><p>     A knock came at the door, and upon permission a nurse entered. “Hello, Tenn-kun!” she brightly greeted him. “Sorry for the intrusion! Just wanted to check that he got his afternoon mobility exercises and lunch.”</p><p>     Tenn brushed a dusty pink strand of hair away from his face and glanced at a bag of brown fluid hanging from the IV stand. “Yes, he’s about halfway through lunch now. I did his exercises with him around an hour ago. Just finished giving him a bath too.”</p><p>     The nurse took the chart out from the slot at the foot of the bed and added a few notes. “Wonderfully on top of things as always, Tenn-kun! Your brother is lucky to have you.”</p><p>     “Well,” Tenn chuckled plainly, with a hint of bitterness, “it’s the least I can do for him. I’ll be taking off now.” He reached over and gently smoothed down the redhead’s hair, then made his way to the door. Before closing the door, Tenn peeked his head back  in. “See you tomorrow, Riku.”</p><p> </p><p>     As Tenn arrived home to change so he could go to work, his father Ensei had been putting his shoes on by the front door. “Ah, Tenn,” he said, stopping, “I was about to go fetch you from the hospital. Kujou-san was wondering where you were.”</p><p>     “I just have to freshen up a little and then I’ll make my way over,” Tenn replied. “I had to do a few extra exercises with Riku today; his joints seemed more stiff.” He voice trailed off slightly as he watched his father’s face become terse.</p><p>     “Please, Tenn, don’t make Kujou mad. You know it makes things worse on your mother and me.”</p><p>     “Aside from Orikasa-san, I am his main source of cash flow,” Tenn retorted. “He will make a few allowances.” Before Ensei could fight more with him, he slipped off his shoes and coldly hurried to the bathroom.</p><p>     After loudly closing the door in defiance, he paused a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t slept much last night, and the gray circles under his eyes made that painfully obvious against his fair skin. He studied the shape of his face, noticing how his cheeks were thinner than a few weeks ago, and thought, if he continued to lose weight, at this rate he would really start to resemble Riku. Sometimes it was difficult to find time for food between taking care of Riku, dance or singing practice, and performing at his parents’—ah, Kujou’s—nightclub. Tenn splashed water into his face and began vigorously washing, trying to push out his thoughts. He just had to keep his head down and be the obedient child, put on a happy face and perform.</p><p>     Tenn finished freshening himself up, putting on a little makeup to hide his sleep deprivation and lethargy, and changed into his performance costume. Striding to the front door, he saw that his father was still there. “Your shift starts soon, you shouldn’t have waited for me.”</p><p>     “I thought I’d walk down with you.”</p><p>     “Suit yourself,” Tenn pulled on a pair of boots and walked out the door his father had held open. </p><p>     Rouge Pirouette was two floors down from the Nanase family’s apartment, so it wasn’t a long trip. The two walked down the stairs, and just as they were getting to street level, Ensei spoke up. “Riku’s doctor called me today. We scheduled a family appointment to discuss the next steps in his treatment. It’s on Thursday morning.”</p><p>     Tenn sharply inhaled. These types of appointments always set him on edge, especially when they were scheduled so promptly. “Did she have anything else to say?”</p><p>     “She said we would discuss everything in person.”</p><p>     His heart dropped yet again. “Thank you for letting me know,” was all he could say before pulling open the door and briskly walking through.</p><p>     “There you are, Kujou-kun!” A sixteen-year-old girl with short navy hair ran up to Tenn. “Kujou-san is over there waiting for you!”</p><p>     “Aya-chan, why are you here today?” Tenn asked, looking at the frilly baby blue costume she was wearing.</p><p>     “Kujou-san is letting me perform one song tonight!”</p><p>     “Ah, Tenn,” a deep voice resonated from behind Aya. “Nanase, good, go clean the bar and get ready to open it,” he addressed Tenn’s father then approached Tenn, ushering him towards backstage. “Come along, Tenn, you’re running behind schedule.”</p><p>     The man who spoke was Kujou Takamasa, a man perhaps in his forties, perhaps thirties, with a gaunt face and dark, oily-looking hair. He was the recent owner of Rouge Pirouette. Well, he was a bit more than that. Kujou was Tenn’s legal guardian. </p><p> </p><p>     Seven years ago, the Nanase family was quite different. Rouge Pirouette was in a slow period, but still doing well enough for the family to get by. Tenn and Riku were as close as twins could be. Ever since he could remember, Tenn was taking care of Riku. He was even more efficient at helping Riku make it through a severe breathing attack than either of their parents could. Any chance he could get, he would help his brother, and he always promised to do anything he could to make Riku happy.</p><p>     On an especially warm summer day, not long after the boys’ thirteenth birthday, Riku desperately wanted to go to the nearby park, even if it was just for a few minutes. It had been a while since his last attack, so his parents agreed to take Tenn and Riku for no longer than an hour.</p><p>     “Tenn-nii! Look at the grass!” an excited Riku exclaimed, running into the lush grass of the park. “It’s green!”</p><p>     “Don’t run!” Tenn lectured, though a smile crept on his face as he watched his brother enjoy himself.</p><p>     “It’s hard not to when everything is so alive!” Riku giggled as he peered into the pond to stare at the fish.</p><p>     “Be careful not to fall in, I don’t want to have to fish you out and risk you catching a chill.”</p><p>     “Why don’t you come sit on the blanket I put out for us. I made some onigiri to eat,” the boys’ mother Miyou called out to them.</p><p>     “If only we could have brought omurice, then this would have been perfect!” Riku had commented as he sat down and grabbed one of the balls of rice.</p><p>     “Always so demanding,” Tenn teased before taking a bite.</p><p>     After the boys ate, Riku got up to start exploring. Tenn followed close behind, monitoring his brother’s breathing. “Hey, Tenn-nii,” Riku said as he looked up at a tall tree he was standing in front of, “Remember that tree I used to be able to climb back before my attacks got super bad?”</p><p>     “I do, you were very good at climbing. Even better than me, maybe.” Tenn watched as his brother reached up and tested his weight on the lowest branch. “Riku, what are you planning?”</p><p>     “Just a little climb, Tenn-nii!” Riku said in a pleading voice as he quickly pulled himself onto the branch.</p><p>     “Riku, no!!” Tenn insisted, trying to grab at his ankle to stop him from getting any higher. </p><p>     However, Riku escaped his grasp and kept climbing, his breathing starting to get ragged as he was laughing at the thrill. Tenn called out for his parents and started climbing after him. Their parents tried to yell for Riku to stop and come back down, but he refused to listen. Riku’s wheezing turned to coughing, until he could barely move. He tried to cling to the branches he was holding, but it was too much. His head was spinning and his body was heavy. Next thing Tenn saw was his brother tumbling down.</p><p>     Next a hollow thump.</p><p>     A mother’s scream.</p><p>     A father’s yell.</p><p>     His own voice calling out as he climbed back down.</p><p>     An ambulance’s wail.</p><p>     The doctor said the damage was not as bad as it could have been. Two cracked ribs, a cut on the side of his head, and swelling of the brain. Riku had not regained consciousness after the fall, but the professionals claimed he would probably wake up once the swelling went down in a few days and be back on his feet quickly. Children are supposed to be resilient. </p><p>     A few days later, the swelling had indeed gone down, and Riku’s body was on the mend. But he still did not wake. The Nanases were doing everything they could to get Riku the treatment he needed, but a specialist would cost far more than they could handle with how business was doing. Tenn wracked his brain for what he could do to help, but not many people were willing to take on a thirteen-year-old to work high-paying jobs. That is, until Kujou Takamasa approached Tenn. </p><p>     Kujou had been hanging out at the Rouge Pirouette every few nights for the past two weeks, watching Tenn’s singing and dancing performances he would do to keep interest and keep business flowing. He was very interested in Tenn’s talent, though Tenn would insist he had no time to keep honing this talent, since he had a hospitalized brother to take care of. One night after Tenn had finished performing, Kujou came backstage.</p><p>     “Tenn-kun,” he started with a toothy grin, “I have a...proposition for you. Now before you say no, I promise, this is a way for everyone to get what they want.”</p><p>     “Tell me.”</p><p>     Kujou smiled once again. “Tell your parents to surrender their parental rights to you and give them to me.”</p><p>     “<em> What? </em>” the incredulous thirteen-year-old almost staggered back. “How would that help anything?”</p><p>     “Become my son, in name only, and let me make you the greatest idol this world has ever known. And in return, I will pay your parents enough money to fund your brother’s hospital bills. Your brother would get the care that he needs to survive, you get to train your talent I can see you love to use, and I get to make you even better than the great idol Zero. Everyone wins! Think it over, tell your parents. I’ll be here tomorrow night for your answer.” With that, he turned and whisked himself away, leaving Tenn stunned, yet pensive.</p><p>     That night, his parents outright refused him and rejected any more discussion of Kujou’s offer. However, the doctor’s appointment the next day sent them reeling. Another test revealed a small abscess on Riku’s brain. He needed surgery to have it taken care of, else risk it getting worse and potentially killing their son. Pouring over their finances revealed no form of lasting hope, and after much discussion, tears, and heartbreak, the Nanase parents decided to accept Kujou’s terms. In return for legally surrendering Tenn to Kujou, Kujou would pay for Riku’s medical costs from now until a year’s time.</p><p>     Kujou took Tenn away once the legal proceedings were through and put him through vigorous idol training. Tenn had forced Kujou to write up an official contract outlining the terms of this deal and made him include permissions to visit his brother when he felt the need to, as long as he did not neglect his duties to Kujou. When Tenn was out-of-country, he had the hospital staff update him at least every other day. When Tenn turned sixteen and returned to Japan, Kujou tried to have Tenn debut. However, no agency was willing to take a gamble on a solo idol, and no groups accepting members met Kujou’s incredibly high standards. Since he was stuck in place in his career, Tenn made Kujou take him home so he could visit Riku. </p><p>     The first place Tenn went when they arrived in his hometown was the hospital. He was taken aback when he saw Riku. It was like looking at an entirely new person. Although Riku was still in a similar condition than he had last seen him, Riku was now so much bigger, and yet, so much more frail. Tenn demanded to get a thorough update from the doctor, who informed him that there was next to nothing more they could do but keep him comfortable. Riku’s body was in good health, but he just would not rouse from the coma. Their suggestion was that he be moved to a nearby clinic that was better suited to taking care of long-term coma patients, but the Nanases had refused to move him.</p><p>     Angered to learn this, Tenn went to find his parents at the Rouge Pirouette, only to see that it was closed. He immediately went up to his old home and rang the doorbell.</p><p>     “Tenn!” Miyou was shocked as her son walked right in as if he had never left four years previous.</p><p>     “Why are you closed?” she asked her straightforwardly.</p><p>     “Ah...sit down, Tenn,” his mother gently pulled a chair at the table out and sat down across from him. “We just can’t afford to stay open every night now. All of our good performers left not too long ago, and we haven’t been able to afford renovations due to your brother’s medical costs. We’ve even been thinking of selling the place…” her voice trailed off ashamedly.</p><p>     Tenn’s lips tightened, his eyes were burning. He stood up abruptly, and made for the door. “I’ll get this handled.”</p><p>     Another deal with Kujou later—Kujou bought Rouge Pirouette for the sake of furthering the careers of the idols he was grooming. He allowed the Nanases to stay on as employees and even allowed Tenn to live back at home, though he was still a Kujou by name. With the money from selling the club, Riku was able to be transferred to the clinic that could keep him comfortable while they hoped for a miracle.</p><p> </p><p>     Six years, eleven months, and twenty-two days since the last time Riku was awake, and no miracle in sight. Another night of performances, another night of fake smiles. Tenn did his performances, enrapturing his audience in his skilled singing and dancing. Once he got home, he collapsed on his bed, and slipped into sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Next Best Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I got tired of the Nanase parents being nameless so I came up with names for them and added them to Ch. 1. Here's the meanings behind them, for those curious:<br/>Nanase Mama: Miyou (海洋- ocean)<br/>Nanase Papa: Ensei (炎- flame, blaze; 星- star, spot, dot/,mark)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     The piercing screech of Tenn’s alarm clock jolted him awake with a reminder that today was Thursday. <em> The next steps in his treatment. </em> His father’s words ran through his head as he got dressed and left his room. </p><p>     “Tenn, please don’t leave for the hospital now,” his mother Miyou intervened as he made his way to the front door. “You need to eat. There will be plenty of time for all of us to visit him before we have to meet with the doctor. Please,” she placed a plate of eggs and two onigiri on the table where Tenn usually sat, “at least eat the eggs and have the onigiri on the way.”</p><p>     Seeing genuine concern in her expression and familiar dark circles under her eyes, Tenn quietly sat down. Miyou closed her eyes in relief, then turned back to the counter and started cleaning up. As Tenn picked at his eggs and slowly started eating, his appetite finally kicked in, despite the pit of worry he had had since the night before. He must have missed enough meals yesterday that he was finally too hungry to deny himself. After Tenn devoured all that was on his plate and helped his mother finish cleaning up, the three left for the hospital.</p><p>     It was a very quiet car ride, though this was not particularly due to nerves. Car trips were always quiet for the Nanases—rather, at least since the incident they were. They used to be filled with Riku and Tenn singing songs together or their giggles as they tried bothering one another from their seats. Now it was just Tenn, who genuinely didn’t have much to say to his parents. He would never admit to resenting them. As much as Tenn would have loved to blame his parents, or even himself, for Riku’s fall, he knew that it really was nobody’s fault. Riku was a willful and impulsive child who obeyed his whims before fully thinking ahead. And who could really blame a sick kid for wanting to do something normal for once after having to be denied so much? It wasn’t a matter of blame at all; it was a matter of distance. </p><p>     Tenn’s four years of absence from home left him very clueless as to how to interact with his parents once he returned. Ensei and Miyou were just as clueless, frankly. Tenn came home a very different person: he was even more mature than he already had been, very professional and well-spoken, yet cold and detached. He struggled with imagining them as his parents again, since Kujou had trained him and raised him through a crucially formative time. Those times he woke after a nightmare were survived through Kujou’s odd yet somehow comforting stories. The one he sought out for advice was now Kujou, not his parents. Tenn coming home to Ensei’s poor management of Rouge Pirouette pushed the strain on their relationship even further. The two of them often still clashed. However, over time Tenn was grateful that he did come home. Despite the still distant relationship he maintained with his parents, they had formed a quiet bond. Somehow, these wordless trips felt comforting. No awkward or empty words to try to make each other feel better or worse. Just the presence of people with a mutual knowledge of what each other was going through.</p><p>     As soon as they arrived, Tenn and his parents went up to Riku’s room for a quick visit before their meeting with the doctor. Tenn went in first and followed his usual protocol: greeting Riku and letting him know who’s there, asking how he’s doing then checking the latest notes of care on the chart. </p><p>     “Good morning, Riku,” Miyou walked up to the bedside and pushed back Riku’s bangs, kissing his forehead. “Your birthday’s in four days, sweetheart,” she spoke to him softly, swallowing back a tremble in her voice. “Still hard to believe you and your brother are gonna be twenty! My boys...men…” She inhaled sharply and pulled back from the bed. Ensei silently put his arm around her shoulders as she nearly crumpled into tears.</p><p>     “It's time to reposition him,” Tenn slipped in front of his parents and pulled the sheet down. He carefully lifted Riku’s right leg, bending it to 90 degrees, then picked up his right arm. He gave both limbs a gentle tug, shifting Riku onto his side. It didn’t take much force, since he was so thin; plus, Ten had become quite the expert in situating his brother so that bed sores wouldn’t form. After fixing Riku’s oxygen mask and repositioning the pillows, he pulled the sheet back up to his brother’s chest. </p><p>     “We should head to the doctor’s office now,” Ensei spoke up. Everyone said goodbye, Miyou kissed Riku’s cheek, and then they left. They took the elevator up a couple floors and went down the familiar corridors until they arrived at Dr. Minagi’s open door. As soon as she caught sight of Tenn in the doorway, she beckoned them in to sit down.</p><p>     “Nanase family, thank you for meeting with me,” Dr. Minagi began. “I wished to speak to all of you concerning Riku-kun’s current condition.”</p><p>     “Has something changed?” Miyou asked with knitted brows.</p><p>     “It’s…” Dr. Minagi folded her hands, tapping her thumbs together as she framed her next words, “It is something we wish to delve deeper into. Riku-kun has been comatose for nearly seven years now, with the only significant changes being his breathing becoming sporadically ragged within the last two years. However, Tenn-kun pointed something out to Riku-kun’s nurse that we have been monitoring recently.”</p><p>     Tenn glanced at his parents, who had both looked at him with disbelief before turning attention back to the doctor as she continued.</p><p>     “As you know, involuntary movements such as fingers twitching or feet flinching is normal for most comatose patients. Yet last week, Tenn-kun reported that Riku-kun formed a fist with his right hand and seemed to be having rapid eye movements while his eyes were closed.”</p><p>     “What does that mean?” Miyou began to get fidgety. “Is he waking up?”</p><p>     “Making a fist could be entirely involuntary,” Dr. Minagi warned. “But, the eye movement is not so common. It’s usually only something we see in people who are dreaming. We had our nurses watch out for anything, and two of them also saw Riku exhibiting rapid eye movement at different times of day. The reason I had called on Tuesday was actually because the nurse on call had reported that Riku-kun started having rapid eye movements right after Tenn-kun had left. The movement didn’t stop until the middle of the night. I cannot say this for certain, but this does seem to be something significant, so I’d like your permission to do a CAT scan today and do another type of scan the next time he exhibits rapid eye movements.”</p><p>     “Whatever you need to do, please,” Ensei confirmed. He wrung his hands nervously in his lap. </p><p>     “Good, I’ll send in the order for the scan, hopefully we can fit it in tomorrow or in the coming days. Are there any concerns or questions any of you had?”</p><p>     The three glanced around at each other, and Tenn finally spoke up. “What are the chances that these are signs Riku is waking up?”</p><p>     Dr. Minagi thought for a moment before carefully replying, “It’s likely that these could be flukes, that he is just experiencing a change in symptoms. Or it is possible he is shifting into a vegetative state and slowly starting to rouse. But I must stress, it has been nearly seven years. The chances of Riku-kun coming around to anything higher than a partial vegetative state is incredibly unlikely. We will of course hope for the realistic best and continue to do what we can to keep him comfortable.”</p><p>     Tenn nodded in acknowledgment, biting his top lip. After a couple of general questions from his parents, the three of them were satisfied enough and left the doctor’s office. After so long, was this finally a good sign? Was there really a small shred of hope once again? Nobody dared give these questions a voice, for fear of making this small window slam shut. All the Nanases could do was go back to their car and head for home. The silence of this trip was almost unbearable compared to that of the ride there. It felt like they were a balloon, inflated to the edge of bursting.</p><p>     Surprisingly, the one to burst the balloon was Tenn’s father. “Whatever comes next, we will do the best that we can for Riku, no matter what.” That sounded more like a pledge he was remaking to himself rather than one directed at his family.</p><p>    “Naturally,” Tenn replied simply while his mother just nodded and tried to smile. “I’ll work even harder, for Riku’s sake.”</p><p> </p><p>     For the next three nights, Tenn had very vivid dreams. He would have them every so often, usually when a big decision had to be made concerning Riku, or when they were waiting for results back. The same situation kept occurring in his dreams: a reality where Riku never fell, where he grew up relatively healthy. For some reason, Tenn was never there with Riku. It was like he was just watching his brother’s life play out from a window. He would distinctly watch as Riku grew up, pursuing an idol career. He was in some kind of group, but whenever Tenn’s dream reached this part of Riku’s life, the window he was looking through became dark and hazy that he couldn’t make out details, or he would wake up in a dazed state and forget the rest of the dream.</p><p>     It was the day before Riku and Tenn’s twentieth birthday, also the day the doctor said she should have the results from the tests they ran on Riku two days prior. Nobody had witnessed Riku move anymore, but again, right after Tenn left from visiting him after his CAT scan, Riku fell into rapid eye movements. That was when they had performed the second test, but Dr. Minagi had kept any preliminary results quiet. Nobody in the Nanase household was particularly able to concentrate that morning, even though they were getting ready for the very simple birthday celebration they had planned to have the next day. Would it be a birthday to truly celebrate, or just another birthday to bittersweetly look back on happier memories?</p><p>     Finally around one o’clock Dr. Minagi called. “We have Riku-kun’s test results gathered, and I need the three of you to come in as soon as possible to review and discuss them.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hope's Prelude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     “Why does Kujou want me to cover that kid’s shift?” a thin man with long silvery hair tied up in a sloppy ponytail asked Aya. He had been sitting at the bar in Rouge Pirouette with a drink and a small disheveled notebook in front of him. “The three of them already have tomorrow off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Kujou-kun’s family received some important news about his brother, and they requested the night off! Kujou-san said I am not ready to perform for that long, so you’re our only option. Please, Orikasa-san, will you do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      “Just call me Yuki already,” he grumbled as he picked up his drink and poured the rest of it down his throat. “Guess I have no choice if it’s for the kid’s sake.” His gruff tone softened as he set the empty glass down. “Did they...say what the news was?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Aya cast her head down, turning one foot over the other where she stood. “Kujou-kun wouldn’t tell me. I think he was still trying to process everything when they came back. I think they went back to the hospital a little bit ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Yuki stared vacantly forward, as if he was caught in an old memory. Suddenly he shook his head vigorously to snap himself out of it. “Guess I better stop drinking and go get ready then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you very much, Orikasa-san!” Aya bowed earnestly as Yuki slowly got up, stumbling and grabbing the seat next to his to regain his footing. “A-Are okay, Orikasa-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He nodded as he grabbed his notebook and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. His steps were a bit shaky as he walked towards his dressing room. “Kid’s lucky, his brother at least can’t get up and run off from the hospital, never to be heard from again,” he muttered as he fumbled with the door handle. “Guess I drank a bit more than I thought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Yuki finally won his fight with the door and went in. He turned on the radio that was on his dressing table and started rifling through a wardrobe for a better outfit to perform in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “—at you’ll be starring alongside Natsume Minami in this movie, isn’t that right, Nikaido-san?” the voice of radio personality Shimooka said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah, that’s right. He plays my character’s sister’s fiance. It’s the perfect character for him, since he’s also a snake in the grass, waiting to take advantage of his prey when they least expect it,” a lazy yet sarcastic voice replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Fufu, always joking so mercilessly, Nikaido-san,” a quieter, smoother voice interjected. “It’s true my character doesn’t have as many good redeeming qualities, but please be sure to watch our movie for yourself and make your own judgments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes, please check out Nikaido-san and Natsume-san’s latest movie </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Sleeper’s Curse</span>
  </em>
  <span> in theaters this weekend!” Shimooka addressed the listeners. “After a few words from our sponsors we will have our guests answer a few of your questions!” Commercials began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Yuki shook his head as he started undressing to get into the outfit he found. “Those actors are so full of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Between commercials, a news bulletin came through: “We have gotten word that the Pudding Tagger was spotted at 4 AM this morning spray painting the mascot of King Pudding in an alleyway next to the Donkey Okay! department store in the downtown district. Upon being spotted, witnesses reported that he ducked out of the alley and escaped. Please contact your local police if you spot the Pudding Tagger or have any information on his whereabouts. He was last seen wearing a light gray hoodie with cat ears on the hood and carrying a King Pudding mascot-shaped backpack.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     This time Yuki chuckled. “Sometimes I wish I could shake that kid’s hand. Who chooses a pudding mascot to make your mark in the world. Well, I guess…” his voice trailed off, his mind finishing the thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you’re trying to find someone, you’d use something crazy like that to get their attention.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-kun…” a nurse softly tapped his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>      He startled upright in the chair beside Riku’s bed. “Nurse Eri,” Tenn settled down when he recognized her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We thought you left with your parents when visiting hours ended. Did you slip into the bathroom and hide out again?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn nodded without a shred of guilt. “My parents know, so it’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Under the circumstances...I’ll let this slide one more time,” Nurse Eri tried to sound stern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’ve been saying that for the past two years,” Tenn quipped with a weak smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well, who can resist that angelic little face?” She lovingly patted his shoulder lightly. “I’ll see if I can sneak a cot in for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’re the true angel here, Nurse Eri, thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I swear if I didn’t know you any better I’d think you were flirting with me!” she teased as she turned to go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn’s smirk faded as he turned his attention to Riku. He got up from his chair and gently slid his brother from his side to his back and raised the head of the bed up slightly. Then he turned on the dim lights of the room and peered over, checking to see if Riku’s eyes were moving under their lids. Tenn sighed half with relief and half with frustration. Riku’s eyes were indeed moving, but after that afternoon’s results, this shred of hope was now another source of anxiety. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>     Dr. Minagi pointed at two monitor displays in one of the lab rooms and began to explain, “This image on the left is the brain of a healthy person experiencing REM sleep. The right is Riku-kun’s brain while he was exhibiting rapid eye movements.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “They look the same, don’t they?” Ensei asked as he glanced between the two images.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The doctor nodded, “Yes, they are fairly similar, however, if you see this region here, the prefrontal cortex, is more active in Riku-kun, when it is usually not active during REM sleep. Frankly, Riku-kun’s scan almost presents like that of a conscious person. But before you get too excited…” She clicked away from the images and brought up new ones from a different type of scan. “Here was Riku-kun’s last scan from six months ago compared to the one from three days ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn’s pursed lips finally opened and a small voice said, “There’s still next to nothing active.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m afraid so…” Dr. Minagi confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Then what is happening to our son?” Miyou asked with tears of frustration welling up in the corners of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I contacted some of my colleagues to try to get more answers, but, we...aren’t exactly sure. It seems Riku-kun is trying to wake up, but we cannot upgrade his condition to a vegetative state as of yet. And this doesn’t seem to show signs of a sleep pattern, so we aren’t sure what these periods of brain activity specifically are. We tried to talk to him and ask him questions to respond to, but neither scan showed any response. It could be he is trying to self-reprogram to prepare to wake up, or it could be something else. We simply do not have enough data to go off of for a new diagnosis. I’m sure you hate hearing this, but all we can do at this point is continue watching for new signs and symptoms, perhaps run more tests in a couple weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “More waiting!” Miyou put her hands on her forehead and ran them back over her hair. “Is there any hope?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Some brain activity is better than none, and it is still a significant change. Keep talking to him, keep letting him know you are there. It very may be what has helped him get this far.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>     Nurse Eri came back with a cot and extra blanket. “The girls didn’t even question me,” she grinned as she started unfolding the cot next to Riku’s bedside. “Just remember you gotta clear out of here by 5 AM, when my shift ends.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I promise, I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble. Thank you for your help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course, anything for you two. Any change?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He stopped a little while ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well, keep it up, maybe he’ll start back up again. Good night!” She smiled before slipping out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn set up his bed then sat on the edge of it, staring at Riku. “It’s just like old times, Riku. Remember those days, back when we were kids, I would take care of you in the night, singing songs and telling you stories to try to get you to feel better. I should be singing at the club right now, but I think tonight you’re a more important audience. But don’t worry, I didn’t leave our customers without entertainment. Orikasa Yuki is filling in for me. He’s hardly a professional, and is actually fairly terrible to work with, but his performance on stage comes close to mine. Oh, I almost forgot,” Tenn leaned over and grabbed his satchel off the floor. “I brought something for you. It’s that fairy tales storybook you used to make me read from every night. I’m sure you’d ask me to read some now, so why don’t we pick up where we left off?” He opened the book to where it was marked and began reading, occasionally glancing up to see if there was any type of reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Until around 1 AM Tenn read, sang, and reminisced to Riku. He didn’t see anything new in his condition and resigned himself to sleeping. As he slept, he had a very peculiar dream. It seemed to be in the same reality that Riku existed in, but this time Tenn was in the dream instead. He was watching himself getting ready to go on stage, yet not to sing. It was a theater stage, and he was acting alongside two others whose faces he couldn’t quite make out. Nothing else could he recognize, but it had a queer feeling of nostalgia. He startled awake right before the final bows with his two mystery comrades. Breathing heavily and feeling a rush of thrilling adrenaline, Tenn sat up and looked at the clock, then to Riku. It was 4:17 AM and Riku’s eyes were moving once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku?” Tenn hopped out of his cot and leaned over his brother. He took in every detail, waiting to spot the smallest change. “I’m here, Riku.” Nothing changed. “Please,” Tenn slumped back onto the cot, “wake up soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Five o’clock came, and Tenn had to quickly fold up the cot and sneak out of the hospital. Several people saw him, but most of the staff recognized him by now and knew not to say anything. Nurse Eri winked at him as he waved goodbye to her while hurrying out the main doors. He went back home and was met with his mother sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Miyou smiled weakly at her son. “Happy Birthday, Tenn.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Happy Celebration...?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I *totally* can do simple math and *totally* didn't accidentally miscalculate how old the twins would have been when Riku fell....so yeah, I had to edit CH.1 to say that Riku fell a few days after their 13th birthday, not 12th.</p><p>Revision aside, enjoy a longer chapter that was supposed to be more fluffy but ended up angsty, whoops.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     A second-year college student in a light blue pinstripe dress shirt and navy blue suit was walking down a street filled with small shops and restaurants in a daytime district of Tokyo. He walked briskly, the wind created by his own movement brushing his jet black hair off his forehead. Once he arrived in front of a cake shop, he stopped, fixed his hair, and smoothed down his suit jacket before opening the door and walking in.</p><p>     “Good morning!” an orange-haired man in his early- to mid-twenties called out from bent behind a large pastry case when the little bell on the door alerted the presence of a new patron. The man stood up and looked to see who was there. “Ah, Iori! You’re here right on time!”</p><p>     “Good morning, Nii-san,” the college boy replied with a formal smile. “I am always punctual, why do you sound surprised?”</p><p>     “I was just surprised to see it was time already. I really appreciate you doing a favor for me before your classes. Let me just go grab it!”</p><p>     “Just please hurry and convince Father to hire a new delivery person for you!” Iori called after his brother Mitsuki. “I cannot keep running errands unpaid,” he said at a normal volume once his brother came out of the kitchen carrying a cooler bag that said “Fonte Chocolat” on the sides. </p><p>     “I know, I know. This’ll be the last time, I promise. The name and address are on a note on the top of the bag.” Mitsuki passed the bag into Iori’s hands.</p><p>     Iori read the address as he began walking away. He stopped suddenly and turned around. “Nii-san, this is that clinic that specializes in comatose patients, I thought you said this was a birthday cake?”</p><p>     “Because it <em> is </em> a birthday cake. Just because they’re in a coma doesn’t mean they can’t still have a birthday!”</p><p>     “That isn’t what I meant—ah, never mind, I’ll be late. After I deliver it I will call you to let you know they received it properly.”</p><p>     “You’re a life-saver, as usual, Iori!” Mitsuki praised him as he began puttering around once again.</p><p>     Iori sighed and said goodbye, then walked out to where the delivery car was parked. Although he had his license, he usually took the bus, to leave his parents’ car free in case of emergency. Needless to say he didn’t quite mind the chance to drive, even if it meant having to run an errand. Riding on buses with strangers who never took a second glance at him was depressing after a while, even for someone who took life’s challenges in stride like Iori did. It wasn’t much different from his college experience so far, to be completely honest. Sure, Iori was in a club or two and interacted with others through that, but these were purely relationships made to gain connections with people he might have to work with in the future. To the people in his classes, he might as well have been invisible. Nobody appreciated his opinions, which he often worded too strongly, and his advice often fell on deaf ears. He was slowly being conditioned to just get his work over with quietly and efficiently while keeping his head down.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>     Tenn raised his head and looked at the clock. It was finally 7:00 in the morning. He had been lying in bed trying to sleep ever since Miyou had suggested he do so. Peeling the covers back, he got up and started to get changed. Even though he had just left the hospital not even three hours ago, Tenn was desperate to go back. The dream he had had was still looming in the back of his mind, along with the fact that he had left Riku while he was still showing that sign of hope. If he missed something while he was just lying around at home, he’d never forgive himself.</p><p>     “Tenn,” Ensei called from the family room, “breakfast is ready!”</p><p>     After internally groaning he responded, “I’ll be right out!” He threw on a pink cardigan and resituated his bangs. As he opened his bedroom door, the smell of what his mother had prepared smacked him in the face.</p><p>     Omurice.</p><p>     Tenn had once loved omurice almost as much as Riku. But ever since Riku’s incident, Tenn could never bring himself to eat it. Half the time it wasn’t even intentional anymore. Sure, growing up he refused Kujou’s offers to make it for him, purely because he didn’t think it was right that he would get to enjoy it if Riku wouldn’t be able to. However, upon moving back home, Tenn had relented and allowed Miyou to make omurice for him only on his birthday. However, every year, try as he would to eat it, just the smell alone would turn his stomach so that he couldn’t bear to even look at it.</p><p>     Miyou saw the pained look on Tenn’s face as he joined his father at the table. “Oh, Tenn, dear,” she said regretfully. “It’s still bad?”</p><p>     “I’m sorry,” he choked out, “I don’t think I can try it again.”</p><p>     “We were going to wrap a plate of it up and bring it to Riku, just to see if maybe the smell could trigger something,” Ensei tried to explain. “Do you think you can handle being around it?”</p><p>     Tenn, pressing his knuckles to his mouth, replied, “If it’s covered I think I’ll be fine.”</p><p>     Nodding, Miyou quickly slid the omurice out of the pan and into a container. “There, it’s sealed up. I’ll just rinse the pan off so it doesn’t smell—” </p><p>     “I’ll be fine in a moment,” Tenn interjected. “Let’s just get ready to go.”</p><p>     “Before we do,” Ensei leaned down and pulled something up from beside his chair onto the table, “we wanted you to open your gift.”</p><p>     “I said no gifts, you know I hate this da—”</p><p>     “Just open it, please,” Miyou’s eyes were pleading as she asked.</p><p>     Tenn swallowed his pride and pulled the plain pink gift bag towards himself. What was the point of gifts when the only thing he truly wanted was his brother? He reluctantly pulled out the carefully arranged red and pink tissue paper and glanced at his parents. They were both watching him carefully, which made him even more wary. Tenn pulled out a small wrapped package. The tissue paper wrapped around the item looked much older and much more haphazardly handled than what he had just taken out of the bag. He unwrapped a long, thin gift box that was decorated in stickers and drawings of donuts and cakes and presents. On the lid, written clumsily in colored pencil was “Happy Birthday, Tenn-nii!”</p><p>     Tenn’s already dry throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton. His hands trembled slightly as he gingerly lifted the lid. Inside were two corded bracelets. One was made of red cording and had a gold double sharp charm and a letter R charm. The other was pink cording with an alto clef charm and a letter T charm. “What-ehem,” Tenn tried to clear his voice. “What are these from?”</p><p>     Miyou spoke up first, “Riku had wanted to give that to you for your thirteenth birthday. He had saved up allowances and loose change we gave him, and he picked them out at the store while you were at school. But after he had wrapped it up, he hid it somewhere without telling anyone.”</p><p>     “By the time your birthday came around, he had forgotten where he put it, and none of us could find it,” Ensei continued. “It wasn’t until a couple weeks back when I was supervising the grand piano in Rouge Pirouette getting tuned that I noticed it stuck inside the body of the piano.”</p><p>     Tenn couldn’t help but chuckle despite the growing pain swelling his chest. “Riku did always like to mess with the piano, but was too scatter-brained to ever remember where he hid things. No wonder he seemed sort of sad he only had a card to give me that day.” He wiped away a tear that escaped from his eye and sniffed. “Thank you, for finding this.” Carefully he took the pink bracelet out and put it on his right wrist. He left the other one in the box and replaced the lid, then wrapped it back in its original tissue. With a gentle smile he said, “I’d like to go to Riku now.”</p><p>     “Of course,” Miyou wiped away her own tears and went around the table and kissed the top of Tenn’s head. “Let’s go see your brother.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I think that’s the last of it,” Ensei said as he placed the omurice container on a small card table in Riku’s hospital room. “The cake is scheduled to arrive at 9:00.”</p><p>     “Good, that gives us enough time to get more settled in,” Miyou turned to Tenn, who had started pulling the gift box from Riku out of his satchel, “Did anyone from the club mention if they’d be dropping by?”</p><p>     “Aya-chan said she would come visit after school. Orikasa-san still refuses to step foot in a hospital but sends his sentiments. Kujou-san said he would visit for a short time in the late morning.”</p><p>     “I guess we have most of the morning to ourselves then,” Ensei remarked, “until we invite Riku’s nurses in for cake.”</p><p>     “Dear, would you mind stepping out with me,” Miyou asked him as she observed Tenn staring quietly at the now unwrapped box in his hands.</p><p>     “What, did you forget something? We brought everything i—”</p><p>     “Just come along dear,” she gently tugged his arm and pulled him out of the room. “Let him have a moment alone with Riku,” she told him once they were out.</p><p>     Tenn slowly opened the gift box, revealing the red bracelet. He glanced down at the pink one on his wrist then looked up at Riku. “I got your gift finally, you silly kid. Honestly, hiding it in the grand piano, and then forgetting it there? Only you could do something like that,” his voice cracked at the end, his small smile drooping. He picked the bracelet up and lifted Riku’s left wrist to put it on him. Though Tenn’s bracelet fit him just perfectly, Riku’s wrist was frail enough that it was incredibly easy for Tenn to slip it on and tighten it. “I suppose it’s a good thing you were careless and got these too big.” He gently set Riku’s hand back down onto his rib cage. “Happy Birthday, Riku.” Studying his brother’s face for any changes, Tenn missed Riku’s foot flex up then return to neutral. </p><p>     Miyou and Ensei slipped back into the room, causing Tenn to stand up abruptly and wipe at his nose with the back of his hand. “You should give him your gift now,” Tenn said before putting the gift box back in his satchel and walking for the door. “I’ll go check if the delivery person has arrived yet.”</p><p>     “Don’t go too far, just in case,” Miyou tried to say before he shut the door. She sighed then turned back to Riku. “We brought a little something special for you, sweetheart,” she opened the container on the table.</p><p>     “I still think this is useless,” Ensei mumbled, but not quietly enough.</p><p>     “You heard the doctor!” Miyou snapped, “Anything could help at this point! We might as well try!” She took the container closer to Riku’s face, near to under his nose. “It’s still warm, and I made it just how you always loved it. I even wrote ‘Happy Birthday!’ and drew a heart in ketchup. You must miss eating this so much!”</p><p>     “You’re just making yourself more upset, please,” Ensei gently pulled his wife back slightly. When she faced him, tears were pouring down her face. He pulled her into a hug and let her sob into his neck. He braced his body to support her, and as he stood there his gaze wandered onto his son. His own eyes became bleary, but he could have sworn he saw Riku’s left hand ball up around the sheet then release. Blinking hard, he stared intensely at Riku. Nothing else happened; must have been wishful thinking. </p><p>     Once Miyou composed herself, she dried her eyes on a handkerchief Ensei gave her, then grabbed a large red gift bag. “I made this for you, since your other one was getting old.” She pulled a lap quilt out of the bag. “I’m not sure what drew me to use all these colors or music symbols, but I felt I had to follow the vision I had going for it.” It was an array of colors, from those in the rainbow to a couple brown shades, a dark brick red, mint green, gray, pink, and dark teal. There was a different music note patched onto each color. </p><p>     “Riku would probably appreciate it, even though I think it’s loud,” Ensei chuckled.</p><p>     “Good thing I didn’t make it to please you then,” Miyou rebutted, managing a smirk. She draped the blanket over Riku, making sure to pull his arms over top of it.</p><p>     Meanwhile, Tenn was just making his way back from the restroom. His eyes were slightly red in the corners. As he was walking towards Riku’s room, he intercepted a man about his age carrying a large Fonte Chocolat insulated bag. “Ah, delivery boy, I was looking out for you.”</p><p>     Iori turned and scowled at him, “May I help you? I am trying to deliver something to this room.”</p><p>     “Yes, obviously you are, and I am here to receive it from you.”</p><p>     “I see. Your name is?” Iori checked the name on the note as he asked.</p><p>     “Kujou Tenn.”</p><p>     “That is not in the least the name I have here, so if you will excuse me,” Iori turned on his heel and walked to Riku’s room.</p><p>     After getting over a moment of flabbergastedness, Tenn stormed forward, following him. Iori knocked on the door and upon approval entered. Tenn was about to as well, but the door shut right before he could.</p><p>     “Forgive the intrusion—oof!” Iori was whacked in the back as Tenn swung the door open.</p><p>     “Tenn, be careful!” Miyou chastised. “I am so sorry!” she addressed Iori, who rubbed the back of his head. “You can set the cake here on the table.</p><p>     After momentarily glaring at Tenn, Iori did as instructed, taking a large white box out of the bag and setting it in the middle of the table. He opened the box and slid the cake out of it so that they could see it. The cake was two small tiers, decorated with scallops of white frosting and outlined with strawberries on each tier. On the top center was a wafer of chocolate with the message “Happy 20th Birthday, Tenn &amp; Riku!”.</p><p>     While Iori had been working, he couldn’t help but stare at Riku. He had barely ever had a reason to go to a hospital, let alone see someone in a coma. “I hope the cake is satisfactory,” Iori said, still taking in Riku’s condition. He looked fairly normal, though a bit frail. It almost looked as if he were just asleep, though he noticed that his eyes had started moving under his lids. </p><p>     “It looks perfect, doesn’t it, Tenn?” Ensei asked as he fished for his wallet. Tenn just grunted and nodded in reply, keeping his eyes on Iori. Ensei handed Iori a few bills of money. “Here’s the delivery fee, please keep the extra, thank you.”</p><p>     “Ah, thank you very much, Nanase-san. Please patron...Fonte...Chocolat…” Iori’s words trailed off as his expression became more confused as he did a double-take and looked back at Riku. </p><p>     Everyone peered over to try to see what had him so distracted. Riku’s hands were both tightly gripping his quilt.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Brand New World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Tenn brushed past Iori, bumping into his arm, and leaned over to look at his brother’s face. “Riku!” As he touched his brother’s shoulder and tried to gently shake him, Miyou came forward and placed her hand over Riku’s. Ensei had been standing behind the two, also calling Riku’s name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori stood dumbfounded, blankly staring at this family. All he was supposed to do was drop off a birthday cake and continue his mediocre day. Yet now here he was, standing in a supposedly comatose person’s hospital room, possibly witnessing a life-changing development. After a moment, his mind finally jolted into action. “Ah, excuse me, should I go fetch a nurse or doctor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Ensei startled a moment. “Oh, you’re still here! Yes, please do! Th-Thank you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’ll be going then,” Iori quickly bowed and rushed out the room. He called over the first person in a white coat that he saw and briefly explained what he had seen. The doctor briskly strode towards the door Iori had pointed out. He watched the man enter the room and shut the door. Not knowing what else to do, Iori slung the empty cooler bag over his shoulder and woodenly left the hospital. As he got into the van, Mitsuki called him. “Hello, Nii-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Iori, everything okay? You sound out of it! And you didn’t call after delivering the cake, did something happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nii-san, you’ll never believe what I think I just witnessed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, can you hear us?” Miyou asked while holding Riku’s still tensed fist. “Please, sweetheart, can you open your eyes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     When the doctor arrived, the three reluctantly pulled away so he could examine Riku. Riku’s grip on his quilt had eased and his eyes stopped moving while the doctor had been checking his vitals. Dr. Minagi arrived shortly afterward to assess his condition further. “Let’s get him more upright, and I’ll do a few reflex tests.” As she fished a penlight and a reflex hammer out of her coat pocket, Tenn began raising the head of the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     While Tenn did so, the pace of the heart rate monitor’s beeping began to quicken. Tenn immediately looked at Riku, and watched as his eyelids slowly opened. “Riku, he’s awake!” he choked out. Tenn felt his entire body grow hot. An enormous rush of emotions clouded his mind. He barely even heard his mother’s wail of joy and his father’s babbling words of shock. After seven years, he was finally looking at his brother’s open eyes. “You’re…” his voice faltered as he watched Riku’s eyes dart around the room, almost frantically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku-kun, I’m your doctor, Dr. Minagi. You’re in a hospital. Can you understand?” she searched his face for a reaction. His eyes flitted about, settling on her momentarily, then continued searching. Riku fixed his gaze on Tenn, searching his face before staring vacantly past him. He tried to open his mouth, only a small croak was audible. For a brief minute he tried to kick his legs, but as he exerted himself his breathing began to get ragged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’re safe, baby,” Miyou said tearfully. “We’re right here for you. We’ve waited so long... Doctor, why isn’t he focusing on anything? Why can’t he talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku-kun is still trying to transition into consciousness. Let’s give him more time to adjust to his new state and not put stress on him. His oxygen saturation is dropping, so let’s put him on some oxygen for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He’s finally awake,” Tenn mumbled, his knees almost giving out. Ensei caught his arm and held him steady. He was poignantly reminded he had not eaten anything yet today. His father tried to guide him to a chair, but he yanked his arm away and grabbed onto the bed rail. “I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After putting an oxygen mask on Riku and giving him a few minutes to adjust, Dr. Minagi said, “It seems he has calmed down a bit, so I’ll try to assess his consciousness. Riku-kun,” she slipped her index and middle finger under the palm of his left hand, “Do you know where you are? If yes, squeeze my finger twice. If no, squeeze my finger once.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     No response. His eyes merely roamed the room without much purpose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Dr. Minagi removed her hand. “Alright, Riku-kun, I’m going to test your reflexes. If you understand, blink twice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Again, no response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Let’s not lose hope yet,” she assured the Nanases, who had been holding on to each other nervously, and Tenn, who was holding onto the left bed rail. She picked up Riku’s forearm and tested his biceps reflex. His arm twitched two seconds after the hammer hit the top of her thumb. She ran through the rest of her reflex tests, then summarized for everyone, “His reflexes are present, albeit considerably delayed. But after just coming around, this is a good sign. His pupils are responsive, and his breathing seems relatively fine for right now. Riku-kun seems to be in what we call a vegetative state, which is normal for after one wakes up from a comatose state.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Is that why he can’t respond to us?” Ensei asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes, he does not have the capacity to respond to external stimuli like commands or noises, as of right now. Please remember, the chances of Riku-kun coming around to even a minimally conscious state might be quite small. He’s been comatose for a long time. He seems stable for right now, so I am going to give you some time alone with him. Meanwhile I’ll start planning our next steps in his care.” She excused herself and bowed before leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I still can’t believe it…” Ensei said, running his hand through his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s a miracle!” Miyou went back to Riku’s side and brushed his bangs out of his face. She looked at him lovingly, but his vacant, almost dead stare made her face contort as she began crying. She collapsed into the nearby chair and sobbed, “But he’s not actually here with us! This is almost worse! What if this is how he is for the rest of his life?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Ensei and Miyou looked up at Tenn, who was gripping Riku’s bed rail to the point his knuckles were bright white. He was giving his mother a glare cold enough to freeze a flame. “T-Tenn?” Miyou almost cowered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We’ve just had a miracle and you’re already demanding another? Riku is here; he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>been</span>
  </em>
  <span> here, for seven years. He’s managed to hold on this long to wake up, yet in his face you are too weak to show a strong front for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Ensei puffed his chest out slightly. “Tenn, don’t talk so disrespectfully to your mo—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He’s right,” Miyou cut him off. “I’m letting my worry take over me.” She took a deep breath before getting back on her feet and next to Riku. She looked into his eyes once again. “I’m sorry, Riku, sweetheart. You and Tenn have always been much stronger than me.” She kissed his forehead and held back another wave of tears, standing her ground. Riku’s head twitched slightly, and his glance met her stare for a brief couple of seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “See,” with a relieved, tired expression, Tenn let his arms drop to his sides, “He’s here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Miyou looked at Tenn and rushed around the other side of the bed to hug him. “I’m sorry to you too, Tenn. You’ve had more faith in Riku than any of us combined.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He allowed her to hug him, but he didn’t put much effort in returning it. “The cake will go to waste if we don’t distribute it soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Oh, you’re right!” Miyou wiped her eyes and began bustling around. “We have to celebrate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     They invited all of the nurses on shift to join the Nanases in celebrating the twins’ 20th birthday and Riku’s awakening. It was a relatively quiet gathering, but the nurses all gave them much needed encouragement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Around noon, Kujou showed up. “Happy Birthday, Tenn,” he flashed his usual stale, toothy grin. “What a shock that the waif actually woke up. I suppose the money I put into his care is finally paying off in another way, aside from my getting to train you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As Kujou talked, Riku clenched his quilt in his left hand and tried to raise his right leg. It only lifted an inch off the mattress before plopping right back down. He let out a soft gurgle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Miyou rubbed his arm and tried to comfort him, “It’s okay Riku, we’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Kujou just watched with a curious look, then turned back to Tenn, “Will you still be coming to work tomorrow? You’re an adult now, so I can’t command you to. But as your employer...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’ll be there for performances only. No more waiting tables,” Tenn set his boundaries plainly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s a deal then,” Kujou put a hand on his chest and bowed. “Good luck with...him. I’ll see you tomorrow evening, on time.” Grabbing a piece of cake on his way out, he waved casually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Did it almost seem like Riku was reacting to him?” Ensei asked nobody in particular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Difficult to say,” Tenn replied pensively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     The Nanase family stayed at the hospital all day, sharing the food they brought and talking to Riku in hopes of seeing any more changes. Nurses came every so often to check in or run other short evaluative tests the doctor requested. Tenn worked Riku through his mobility exercises, which were more eventful than usual, since Riku would twitch or shake a little as Tenn moved his limbs around. There was also much more tension in his muscles now that he wasn’t comatose. The most Riku seemed to be able to do by the end of the day was raise his legs a couple inches and move his arms shakily a few inches. Any activity seemed sporadic, and not really in response to anything specific. He did, however, seem more active when Aya showed up in the early evening. She visited for a short while and left a little before visiting hours ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Dr. Minagi knocked on the door as the Nanases were gathering their things. “I just wanted to touch base with you before you left and let you know what the next course of action will be,” she explained to them. “For the next couple of weeks we will monitor Riku’s behavior to see what he can do, where he is at in his level of consciousness, and ensure that he is in a stable condition. After that I should be able to officially change his diagnosis. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but if he seems stable enough, we might be able to discharge him. He would need considerable care at home though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We’ll do anything for him,” Miyou replied, containing her emotion. “To think, we are this close to finally bringing him home…” Ensei smiled at her hopefully and hugged her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-kun,” Dr. Minagi turned her attention to Tenn, who had been very quiet. “I know you’re planning to sneak back in here and stay the night, don’t think I haven’t heard the rumors. But I really must insist you go home. You need to take care of yourself too. We have plenty of staff on standby who will look after Riku and make sure he’s doing fine. If anything changes in the slightest, we have your number.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn nodded reluctantly. Even though he knew the doctor was perfectly right, he still hated having to leave. He had a duty as the older twin to take care of his brother, but now that Riku was somewhat conscious, Tenn couldn’t bear the thought of letting him see a weak, exhausted brother. He must appear strong, well put together. He also had his duty as a performer to tend to, and he couldn’t let his following nor Kujou down. After all, Rouge Pirouette’s success was the reason they could afford to care for Riku’s medical needs. He would go home, eat, then get a full night’s sleep, not for himself, but for those that depended on him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Purple Haze</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is where I must warn, Part 4 Main Story spoiler ahead, at the end of the first paragraph no less. There probably will be a few more further down the line, so I do recommend being caught up.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     “Good morning, Riku,” Tenn’s words sounded almost muffled as Riku’s groggy mind tried to focus. He opened his eyes, though it was a challenge just to do that. He saw Tenn warmly smiling at him, yet he couldn’t stay focused on him for long before he felt the need to let his gaze roam. Why was his usually so icy Tenn-nii smiling so kindly at him? It was almost the same smile he gave only to his fans. The last thing he could remember clearly was running into Tenn the day after IDOLiSH7 had beat ZOOL in the Black or White Music Fantasia competition. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He seemed to be sleeping through most of the night,” a female voice spoke up, probably talking to Tenn, “then he woke up about a half hour ago. He had slightly reacted when I opened the door and tried to talk, so that’s why I called you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you, Nurse Eri. Riku,” Tenn’s voice again. “Can you look over here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku blinked slowly, then willed his head to turn a few degrees to his left. There was Tenn smiling even bigger than before. Riku tried to smile back and ask why he was there, but all he could say was, “-Nii, Te—” He closed his eyes hard and tried to focus them better when he opened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     But that was enough for Tenn. “Yes, it’s me, Riku!” Was he crying?</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Why is Tenn-nii crying? Why can’t I respond how I want to? Did something happen to me at the Zero Arena? Ugh, my head…</span>
  </em>
  <span> As Riku’s mind reeled with these questions, his breathing began to get wheezy and shallow. Nurse Eri swooped in and got the oxygen mask. He tried to resist, but his weak head shaking was no match for Nurse Eri’s kind but forceful hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s gotta be really confusing for him, poor thing,” she commented aloud. “He’s responding to things now though, that’s a wonderful sign! As soon as Dr. Minagi gets in at 9:00 I’ll have her check on him. For now, try to talk to him and explain what happened. And make sure he keeps that mask on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you again, Nurse Eri,” Tenn didn’t look up from soothing Riku’s arm as she left the room. “I’m right here, Riku, just let yourself rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     How could he rest? Nothing seemed right, and there were too many questions Riku couldn’t form the words to ask. He shakily lifted his arm and tried to move his mask, but Tenn gently thwarted him by holding his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You need to leave it on,” he insisted. “You’ve been asleep for a very long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku scrunched his face and shook his head. “Can’t...be…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, you have been in a coma for seven years. We just turned twenty yesterday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The haze began to loosen from Riku’s mind as Tenn’s words registered in his head. “N-No! We just...IDOL—formance...you...we…nmph, ah,” Riku’s head pounded. It felt like someone was kneeling on his throat and pressing on his forehead. His breathing worsened again as he pressed his hands to his temples and started pulling his legs up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Calm down, it’s okay, just relax,” Tenn said urgently, a pang of sadness lingering in the back of his throat. As Riku began almost gasping, Tenn strengthened his nerves and jumped to action. He raised the head of the bed and pulled a pillow out from behind Riku’s head, placing it instead in his lap and leaning him over it. He rubbed Riku’s back in a circular motion and made shushing sounds. “Try to take slow, deep breaths. You’ll be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii…” Riku finally managed to whisper after catching his breath. “Tired…” he slowly closed his eyes and leaned more into the pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku?” he shook his shoulder, rousing him slightly, “Geez, trying to give me a heart attack.” Gently he pushed Riku back on the bed and resituated his mask. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Pardon the intrusion!” Dr. Minagi said as she opened the door. “Ah, Tenn-kun, of course you’re here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He just had an attack,” Tenn informed, stepping aside enough for her to examine him. “He spoke a few words, but most of it didn’t make sense. I think he could understand what I was saying to him though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Probably still the disorientation, but still, such a change overnight is remarkable. Let’s reevaluate him and see where he’s at.” She managed to rouse Riku by gently shaking his shoulder. “I’m Dr. Minagi, Riku-kun. Can you tell me where you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku nodded once, “Ho-hospital,” he mumbled with resignation through his mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Good, good. Can you tell me your full name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nanase...Riku…where...are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Where’s who, Riku-kun? Your parents?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He shook his head and winced. “It...hurts…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What hurts?” Tenn asked before the doctor could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Head…” Riku squirmed and mumbled again, “Where are they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I wonder,” Tenn thought aloud and looked at his pink bracelet. “Are you asking about these, Riku?” He held his right wrist up to Riku’s left. “If you look maybe you’ll remember things more clearly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku looked at the bracelets as best he could. He felt a piercing jolt through his mind and a faded memory came to him. He remembered that he tried to give them to Tenn to convince him not to go with Kujou, but it hadn’t worked and Tenn left anyway. But how could Tenn have them now, when Riku had thrown them into the water surrounding the Zero arena after Tenn had left? Not being able to handle the incessant questions he had, Riku closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He doesn’t remember…” Tenn maintained his composure and gave his brother some space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Perhaps in time,” Dr. Minagi tried to comfort. “Riku-kun, one more question, I promise,” she asked as she made notes on Riku’s file, “How old are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With his eyes still closed tightly and eyebrows furrowed, he replied, “Eighteen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “No, Riku, you’re twe—” Tenn stopped at the sight of Dr. Minagi raising a finger to her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Let’s not confuse him any more,” she advised him quietly. “We shouldn’t agitate his adjustment. I’ll order something for his headache and then we can try again later on, maybe in the late afternoon. I’ll be back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     A white limousine pulled up to the front of the hospital and let out a faded-lavender-haired man in his early twenties, dressed in a tidy gray three-piece suit. He pulled out from the seat next to him a rather large vase of irises, edelweiss, white poppies, and several stems of greenery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Will you need any more assistance, Osaka-san?” the chauffeur who opened his car door asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you, but I will be fine on my own. Feel free to take a walk or relax while you wait for me. I’ll call you when I’m done,” the man addressed his chauffeur warmly as he walked away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It never gets any easier going into a hospital, does it?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He pushed aside that nagging thought as his memories of visiting his ailing uncle passed through his mind. After the man at the front desk asked his business, he replied, “My name is Osaka Sougo. I’m here to see a patient who recently woke up, Nanase Riku.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, O-Osaka-san, o-of course! Forgive me for not recognizing you right away! The Nanase family currently has a request for family-only visitors, but I’m sure they will make an exception for you! Let me just call up to his room, his brother is almost always there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I don’t wish to be any trouble. I’d hate to interrupt his time with family. I’ll just come back another da—” he stopped as he heard the front desk man have a short exchange with someone and confirm that it was okay for him to visit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He’s on the second floor, room number seven.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you very much!” Sougo bowed politely, then went to the elevator. As he made the short trip up a floor, he braced himself. He’d never actually visited with one of the patients this hospital had helped before, so he didn’t really know what to expect. His father had put him in charge of a small branch of his Five Star Company after Sougo had graduated from law school and had instructed him to sponsor some cause for the sake of publicity. Sougo had chosen to sponsor this hospital, since his uncle had spent his last months here in hospice care. He could still remember how his uncle looked before passing away from malnutrition and exhaustion. He never wanted to see someone in that condition ever again. Nevertheless, he felt it was his duty to check in on a patient who had had such a remarkable turn in health at a hospital he was helping to support.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He easily found Room 7 and softly knocked on the door. Once he heard a rigid young man’s voice say “Enter”, he quietly opened the door and walked into the doorway. He was immediately met with Tenn standing in the way, staring him down, arms crossed and an expression more threatening than an angry cat with its fur on end. “Um, he-hello, my name is—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Osaka Sougo, heir of the FSC and current chairman of the Tokyo branch of said company, which gives this hospital approximately 25% of its funding,” Tenn filled in the rest of his sentence in a flat tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Aha, I guess you’ve done your research,” Sougo chuckled nervously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I keep track of all of the people involved in this hospital’s funding, to make sure it stays a stable place.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see. You are Nanase-san’s twin, correct? You perform at the Rouge Pirouette; I remember seeing some advertisements about it. I’d like to make it to one of your shows some day,” he said with a pleasant smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you for your future patronage,” Tenn said with a small smile. “He’s resting at the moment and needs a meal soon, so please make it quick, and be quiet.” He finally slid over to clear a path for Sougo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Pardon the intrusion,” Sougo bowed slightly as he passed him.”I’ll just set this here, if that’s okay,” he carefully placed the flower arrangement on the table next to Riku’s bedside. As he did, he couldn’t help but stare at Riku laying on his side. He seemed pained, Sougo thought. His face was slightly gaunt and looked upset, and his legs were pulled up into his stomach. “How has he been...since...waking up?” Sougo carefully asked Tenn in a low voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As Tenn was about to reply, Riku’s eyes fluttered open. At the sight of Sougo, he startled and fumbled to try to sit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, s-sorry to startle you! I was just dropping off some flowers and to wish you well,” Sougo tried to quickly explain, backing up. The frantic look on Riku’s face made him feel terrible for intruding. “I-I should go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku finally managed to sit up with his legs curled under him. He moved his mask to the side and insisted, “No!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku,” Tenn uttered as he approached his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Sougo turned around and looked back at Riku. “A-are you sure? I can go.” The frantic look was now more desperate and pleading. “If there's anything I can do for you, Nanase-san…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sou...Where’s...everyone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I-I’m sorry? Where’s who?” Sougo came closer again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “—maki...Nagi...IDOL—hahh…Manag—ack” Riku tried to continue but his heart rate was picking up and his breathing became unsteady.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “That’s enough,” Tenn intervened and shooed Sougo away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to cause stress on him. Please, if there’s anything I can do,” he slipped a business card on the table before leaving with another apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “No, hahh,” Riku tried to squirm out of the bed but was too weak. He slumped back against the bed and let Tenn put the oxygen mask back on and fuss over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “That poor thing…” Sougo said to himself as he found his way back to the elevator. He called and waited for his chauffeur to come pick him up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “That was a rather short visit, sir. Did it go well?” his chauffeur asked as he got back in the car and began driving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well, I did deliver my flower arrangement. But I seemed to cause more trouble for Nanase-san. When he saw me, he gave the most peculiar look, almost like he knew me well. Then he was asking about other people, at least I think he was. It was hard to tell. He just seemed so...desperate. I wish there was more I could have done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’re a busy man, Osaka-san. There’s only so much you can do for people. Besides, he was probably just confused. Being out of it for seven years probably makes you a little crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I suppose you’re right...But it still felt like it was more than that,” Sougo bit the end of his fingernail and looked vacantly out the car window. “Regardless of what it was, I do hope he’ll be okay.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A friend drew a sketch inspired by the end of this chapter, so I am just gonna sliiiiide over a link for that https://twitter.com/steliarstelle/status/1264849674747277312?s=21</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Harsh Re:ality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     It took nearly a half hour for Riku to fully calm down after his interaction with Sougo. After shedding a considerable amount of silent tears while getting a thorough lecture from Tenn on how exerting himself was a horrible idea, Riku was feeling quite drained. Now that he was calm, Tenn had left to go get Riku’s liquid meal. Riku was still too emotionally confused to try to sleep, despite his exhaustion. Without exerting much effort, he looked around his room. Tenn had moved the flower arrangement from Sougo to the windowsill, as far from Riku as possible. Probably for sake of not letting the pollen bother him, without actually removing one of the few sources of color from the room. It was just like Sougo to bring such a lovely arrangement, but he still seemed so different compared to the Sougo Riku was familiar with. Was it really true what his brother had told him earlier?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As he looked at the photo frames on the bedside table, he recognized the family photo that was there. It was from the twins’ eighth birthday, one of their fondest birthdays before Ten left. He smiled at the sight of something he actually recognized. As he began to look away, he did a double take back to the table. He noticed the business card Sougo had left behind before he had been rushed out. It took mustering all of his remaining strength to prop his frail body up and lean over to grab the card. Time really must have passed if he was this weak compared to when he was with Tenn at the Zero Arena. He picked up the card and slumped back against his pillows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Just as he was about to attempt to read the card, Tenn came back. “Were you working yourself back up?” he asked as he brought over a bottle of liquid nourishment and an IV stand with an empty pouch. “Just let me give you your meal, and then I have to go—what’s that?” Tenn took the business card from Riku and looked at it. “We don’t need this,” he opened the bedside table drawer and tossed it in. “After I give you this I have to go, okay? I have to get back to Rouge Pirouette and get ready for tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You…? Rou-Rouge?” Riku knitted his brows together. Why in the world was Tenn going back to work there?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes, I perform there now: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and the weekend. But I was thinking of telling Kujou-san to let me stop working on Wednesdays soon, so I can help take care of you. Ah, that’s right...You don’t know. Our parents had to sell the club to someone; his name is Kujou Takamasa. There’s more to it, but I’ll explain another time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Ku-Kujou...no!” Riku shook his head. “What…-bout TRIG—?” His mind was screaming </span>
  <em>
    <span>what happened to TRIGGER</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but his mouth could still only do so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Trig...? Riku, you’re working yourself up again, please, I can’t leave you in good conscience if you keep getting like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku groaned in frustration and smooshed his pillows around the sides of his head. “Dreaming,” he mumbled and closed his eyes tightly, praying that the next time he opened them he would wake up healthy and in his room back at the IDOLiSH7 dorms. Try as he would to will himself to wake up, he could feel Tenn shifting his gown to access the gastrostomy port. He slowly opened his eyes. Nothing had changed. He was still in a white-walled, barely personalized hospital room with his twin brother doting on him. Was this really his new reality? Was what he thought he had lived for the past six years...was IDOLiSH7...really just a fantasy?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As tears began to well up in Riku’s eyes once again and he released his pillows, Tenn gently touched his shoulder. “Riku...I wish,” Tenn sighed, “I wish I could stay, but I have other responsibilities. There will be a speech therapist coming by later, and you just have to use that button to call a nurse if you need anything.” At Riku’s continuous unhappy staring at the wall in front of him, Tenn added, “I promise I’ll be back in the morning. And maybe, if you’re good for your nutritionist visit tomorrow, you’ll be able to have mom’s omurice soon.” Riku finally looked at him with a feeble smile, to which Tenn smirked in response. “Have a good night, Riku.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Over the next few days, Riku underwent several visits from Dr. Minagi and multiple therapists. He graduated to a soft foods diet by Saturday and would get his gastrostomy tube removed in a week if all went well. His speech therapist began helping him relearn how to read and speak. Riku could now manage short sentences and could understand more complex instructions. Although he was still weak to walk on his own, with the help of a physical therapist and a walker, by the weekend he could shuffle from one end of the hospital corridor to the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     It was now Sunday afternoon, a week since the twins’ birthday, and Riku had just finished with his speech therapist. Tenn was waiting in Riku’s room as a nurse brought him back in a wheelchair. “Tenn-nii,” Riku smiled, almost brightly for once, when he saw Tenn sitting patiently, “I’m back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Welcome back, Riku,” Tenn grinned back and stood up. “How was therapy today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It was good!” he replied, albeit a little shaky, but better enunciated than before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Did his therapist have anything to say?” Tenn addressed the nurse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku-kun’s still been going on about that idol thing, but nobody understands what he’s trying to say. And apparently Riku-kun said something about singing? So he said they’d see about doing that in Tuesday’s meeting. And then he ordered for a TV set to be added to the room, something about watching it helping increase his vocabulary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn held his left elbow in his right hand and his chin between his forefinger and thumb of his left hand. “I see, thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The nurse held Riku’s arm as he shakily stood up and sat on his bed. He smiled and bowed his head in thanks as he got situated. He was no longer tethered to an oxygen mask, provided that he remained calm. Riku still refused to believe that this was actually reality, but he decided it might be best to play along with this little charade, at least until he was strong enough to do things on his own. As long as he kept improving, he could be patient and wait to be reunited with his dear friends from IDOLiSH7. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A little while later, someone came in and added a small table in the farthest corner of the room and a television set. Tenn received the remote, then carefully started to explain to Riku which buttons he’d need to use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku took the remote and grumbled, “I know how to use.” He turned on the TV and navigated to a working channel. A sugary sweet, adventurous theme song to a magical girl anime began playing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ugh,” Tenn sighed, “Let’s find you something more stimulating to wat—” he began to say as he reached for the remote.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku yanked his arm up and away from Tenn’s reach. “No!! Nagi...Magi-cal...Kokona…” his eyes, slowly welling up with the beginnings of tears, were completely fixed on the TV screen. Finally, something else he recognized! His foot began instinctively moving to the tune of the song, and he tried mumbling along, “Shiawase...muteki na angel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “This show didn’t start until after his accident...how can he know the lyrics…?” As Tenn asked this aloud, his cell phone rang. “Kujou-san? I see...No, he’s fine, it seems, so I could come back. Alright, I’ll be there in a half hour.” He finished the phone call and watched Riku. He was still fairly engrossed in the TV. “Riku, one of our waiters became ill and I have to go early to go help out.” He waited for a response, which was just Riku nodding in acknowledgment. Tenn sighed, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After Tenn left, Riku watched TV until he dozed off. His dream of a memory of Mitsuki chasing Nagi around the dorm for trying to use Mitsuki’s bookshelf as a Kokona shrine was interrupted by a knock on his door. Nurse Eri walked in. “Ah, sorry if I woke you, Riku-kun. But since you are up, there’s someone downstairs who was wondering if you’d be up to letting him visit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku turned off the TV and groggily asked, “Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He was the gentleman who delivered your birthday cake. When I asked him if he had been concerned for you, he denied it and claimed he just wanted to check if you guys enjoyed the cake. Not gonna lie,” Nurse Eri smirked, “he was blushing like crazy, it was pretty adorable. Do you want me to send him up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Despite the fact that Riku never even saw this birthday cake, he was tired of seeing the same faces, and the idea of meeting a stranger sounded interesting. Besides, if this man did something nice for them, Riku’s duty as an idol in the public’s eye meant that he should at least thank him. “Go ahead,” he replied to her with a nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Alright then! If you need anything while he’s visiting, I’ll be sticking around close by, just a holler or button press away,” she flashed a reassuring smile before disappearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A few minutes later, three short knocks landed on the door. “Come in,” Riku hoarsely called out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A black-haired man slowly stepped in and bowed. “Pardon the intrusion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku’s head shot up at the sound of his voice. “Iori!!” He smiled from ear to ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Eh!? I-I beg your pardon?” Iori took a step back, regretting already closing the door. “H-H-How did you know my name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku’s smile morphed into a frown as he saw the concern and confusion brimming on Iori’s face. “It’s me, Iori...Riku,” he meekly replied, “your group-m-mate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori’s face grew red. “Y-you must be confused, Nanase-san. I’ve only seen you once before, when I delivered your cake last week. And you were comatose, at least you seemed like you had been until you—Ah, n-n-no, don’t get out of bed! You look like you’re in distress.” Out of pure instinct Iori rushed forward and gently stopped Riku from getting up. “Seriously, didn’t you just come out of a coma a few days ago?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sorry I...got sick, Iori.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “There’s no reason to apologize to me, Nanase-san. I don’t even exactly know your situation, I was just concerned—ah, I mean, that is, I wanted to make sure that the cake had been enjoyed or if there was any issue with it, or if there was anything else my family could do—Nanase-san, are you quite well? Y-you’ve been staring so intensely at me. P-perhaps I should leave and let you rest.” He began backing up and making his way for the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “No, please!” Riku reached out pleadingly. “Wh-where’s…ah…” he breathed heavily, but pressed on, “IDOLiSH7?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “IDOL..iSH...7? What a peculiar name for what I assume is an idol group,” he said mostly to himself. “I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku’s expression dove even further into distress. “It can’t be. You don’t...remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Perhaps I can research it on my phone for you, if you allow your breathing to regulate first,” Iori pulled a blue smartphone out of his pants pocket. As he began opening a search browser, he moved closer so that Riku could see the screen too. He tried searching for IDOLiSH7 in many different ways, but nothing familiar to Riku showed up. “I’m sorry, it seems like this ‘IDOLiSH7’ doesn’t exist. Did you perhaps get the name wrong? Or do you know the company they were affiliated with?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku tried his best to control the panic rising within him. “Taka-Takanashi P-Pro,” he coughed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah,” Iori’s eyes darkened, “I recognize that company,” his grip tightened on his phone as he searched the name. Seeing Riku’s gaze fix on him again, he felt the need to elaborate, “Someone from that company had scouted me and promised to let my older brother become part of a group, if I agreed. The deal ended up falling through due to lack of other talents to join the group. Ah, here’s their website. It seems they only have two small groups active at the moment. There’s no mention at all of an IDOLiSH7, I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “TR-TRIGGER?  ZO-ZOOL? Re:vale?” Riku desperately prattled off their names and watched in horror as no results showed up for TRIGGER and ZOOL.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, here’s something about an indie group called Re:vale, though it is on an tabloid site from four years ago...Do these two men look familiar?” He held the screen closer so he could see the photo at the top of the article.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yuki-san...Banri-san…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Seeing that he seemed to know them, Iori summarized the article, “It says that Re:vale was a duo started by two high school students, but their career was cut short when the member named Ban sustained an injury while on stage. Ban disappeared from his hospital room, leaving Yuki in the dark as to where he went. With that, Yuki left his idol career as he knew it behind, and he now works for Kujou Takamasa, the owner of Rouge Pirouette. Nobody has found any information on Ban’s whereabouts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku fell back onto his pillow and stared at the ceiling. His mind was still reeling. Everything that he thought was his reality—really was just a fantasy he had created. And yet, as if fate was laughing at him, the ones that he held dear in this fantasy actually existed, yet they had no idea who Riku even was. Tightly closing his eyes, he tried one more time to wake himself. He tried with all his might to envision every member of IDOLiSH7, the employees of Takanashi Productions, the celebratory dinner they had after beating ZOOL at the BorW, the talk with Tenn at Zero Arena… “Zero Arena,” Riku said as he opened his eyes suddenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori jumped back from leaning over him to check if he was okay. “Z-Zero Arena? Yes, it’s still operating. It was renovated a few years ago, actually. My older brother made me go with him to watch the celebratory concert, though the groups that performed were admittedly lackluster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe, if I...go back…” Riku wheezed out, mostly saying it to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe if I go back to Zero Arena, I’ll wake up from this nightmare, or at least remember what happened to me.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nanase-san, your breathing is getting quite concerning. I am going to retrieve the nurse and let you get back to resting. Farewell,” he slowly walked away and bowed before leaving, “The employees of Fonte Chocolat wish for your swift recovery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     When Nurse Eri returned and put an oxygen mask back on Riku, he didn’t fight it. He merely calmly let her work as he resolved himself. He would now do everything he could to recover as quickly as possible, then find a way to get IDOLiSH7 back.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Painful Adjustments</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Over the course of the rest of July, Riku made more progress than medical professionals could have ever predicted. Riku’s vocabulary and ability to communicate expanded impressively, cognitive tests revealing that, rather than still possessing the mindset of a thirteen-year-old, Riku had the cognitive function much closer to that of an eighteen-year-old. Riku’s speech therapist was also impressed by Riku’s ability to sing, though he was insistent on trying to sing songs nobody had ever heard before. After he had rapidly adjusted to actually eating again, Dr. Minagi had Riku’s gastrostomy tube removed towards the end of the month. Albeit a gross and uncomfortable process, the hole it left behind was healing well. However, the scar it would leave behind would pose as a permanent reminder of Riku’s past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The thing Riku dedicated himself to most of all was getting his body back in shape. Being tethered to his bed most of the day was torture. He did appreciate all of Tenn’s doting, but at the same time, he had gotten so used to his Tenn-nii’s distant treatment of him, that this Tenn seemed almost smothering. There was still much progress Riku had to make in terms of strength, and sometimes he felt Tenn was hindering him with his almost constant nagging for Riku to rest. Although he could now stand and walk fairly well on his own, he still became fatigued quickly. That didn’t stop Riku from pushing his limits, even if it sent him into an attack and inevitably a lecture from his mother or Tenn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     It wasn’t Riku’s intention to make his family worry about him, but his main focus was on getting well enough to go to Zero Arena on his own and try to figure out what was actually his reality. At first he tried to protest any time his parents or Tenn would tell him what had happened to him. After all, he had no recollection of a fall, let alone celebrating their thirteenth birthday together. Riku still painfully remembered Tenn leaving with Kujou a week before their birthday. Every time he tried to insist on this, his parents would get upset. Then when he tried to explain IDOLiSH7, they would tell him such a thing never existed. After a particularly heated debate with Ensei over which reality was true, Riku wracked his brain for another approach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What would Iori tell me to do?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He would tell Riku to stop being difficult and focus on getting back to top shape, then sort out what was going on once you gather more information. Until that day came, Riku would keep his memories quiet and play along until he was strong enough to get away and figure things out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “Everything looks great,” Dr. Minagi told the Nanase family when she finished giving Riku a check-up on the first of August. “Great enough that...I think it’s about time we get Riku-kun home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The Nanases bustled with excitement, Miyou hugging Riku’s shoulders as they sat on the edge of his bed and Ensei ruffling Riku’s hair. “We’ve been praying for this day so long,” Miyou commented with a wide grin spread across her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course he’s still going to need considerable help at home, special diet plans, and continued help from an occupational therapist…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’ll be there to help him,” Tenn volunteered resolutely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii…” Riku started to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s fine, Riku. I’ll tell Kujou-san to cut my hours so I can stay home—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “No!” he began to protest, taking Tenn aback. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What I was going to suggest,” Dr. Minagi cut in, “before any of you start cutting your hours, is that you bring in someone to help. It can be a tough adjustment for everyone at first. Having an extra set of hands could alleviate that and help you find a good rhythm to daily life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We will consider it, thank you,” Ensei replied on behalf of his family before Tenn could try to disagree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Dr. Minagi nodded. “I’ll give you the contact information of some people I recommend. Also, I’ll have plenty of information to give you on how to help Riku-kun’s transition to home life be as easy as possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “When can we take him home?” Miyou asked as she smoothed Riku’s hair back into place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’d say perhaps the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon? I’ll have some pamphlets and plans ready for you tomorrow to help you prepare for how to continue Riku’s care. Other than that, he should be set.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you for taking care of me,” Riku bowed his head as Dr. Minagi stood up to leave. She bowed in response and said goodbye before leaving the Nanases.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I still can’t believe it,” Ensei said, “We’re gonna be a complete family at home again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “There’s so much I have to do to get ready before then!” Miyou exclaimed. “I’ll make sure everything is exactly how it was when you left, and we’ll have family dinners again...Oh, look at us, the whole Nanase family!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku smiled warmly at both his parents, but behind his eyes was a dull glow of dread and doubt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes, the whole family…” Tenn said musingly as he watched Riku. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “Promise me you’ll still drop by to let me know how you’re doing,” Nurse Eri said bravely as she pushed Riku’s wheelchair down the hall and into the elevator. “You too, Tenn-kun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I promise! You’ve been really nice and helpful, I’m really glad you were one of my nurses!” Riku replied genuinely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course we will visit, as long as you promise to drop by Rouge Pirouette so that you can be in our care for once,” Tenn replied smoothly as he walked beside her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You can count on it!” she chuckled. “So, Riku-kun, what are you looking forward to doing most when you get home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku contemplated for a minute, resisting the urge to say he wished he could see his manager and IDOLiSH7 when he got back. “Mm, probably Mom’s omurice!” he replied with a bright smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn and Nurse Eri shared a laugh as they got out of the elevator. She wheeled Riku towards the main doors, where Ensei and Miyou were eagerly waiting. They joined them and brought Riku out to the Nanases’ car. Ensei opened the car door, but Riku insisted on standing up and getting into the car on his own. Before Riku stepped into the car, he stopped and looked back at the hospital. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally past the first hurdle.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He smiled weakly, then carefully got into the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku spent most of the car trip looking out the window. At first nothing seemed familiar, worsening the pit in his stomach. As they got closer to Rouge Pirouette, he began to recognize the surrounding area, and old memories of him and his family taking car trips together flooded his mind. Then he recalled those much quieter car trips once Tenn had left. He glanced over at Tenn, who quickly turned his head away from staring at him. Riku smiled softly. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad to have a smothering Tenn around too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once their car pulled into their parking spot in the car garage, Riku experienced a queer feeling wash over him as he began undoing his seat-belt. His vision blurred and his head pounded, causing him to close his eyes tightly. While he still had them closed, he got a vision of himself and Tenn getting situated in the car. They seemed to be around thirteen, and Riku was listing off things he wanted to do once they got to the park. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, are you alright?” Tenn put a hand gently on Riku’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Gya!” Riku startled out of it, letting his seat-belt go and making it abruptly recoil back into its default position. “I’m fine, Tenn-nii, j-just a little carsick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tch, I told you to drive more carefully, Ensei!” Miyou nagged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sorry, I tried to be as careful as I could!” he tried weakly to defend himself. “But the kid hasn’t been in a car for ages, it was bound to happen no matter how I drove.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Don’t worry about me, hehe,” Riku tried to smile brightly, though his pale complexion and veiled expression of uncertainty didn’t really convince his family.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I wish we didn’t have to make you climb the steps up to the second floor,” Miyou changed subjects. “Ensei, can’t you carry him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You know with my back I can’t—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m fine, really,” Riku insisted. “I can use the cane, if I really need it. Come on, don’t look so sad!” he forced an even more assuring smile. “It’s only for just in case. I probably won’t even need it. Besides, Tenn-nii will help me. Right, Tenn-nii?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course I will,” he replied with a calm grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The four of them left the parking garage and walked around the corner to the exterior staircase that led up to the second floor above Rouge Pirouette. With one hand on the railing and the other on Tenn’s right forearm for added stability, Riku slowly made his way upstairs. Miyou was right behind him, her hand gently poised on his back, ready to catch him the moment he might stumble. Ensei unlocked the front door and let Riku in first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku, still using Tenn’s arm to keep his balance, slowly walked into the house. There was a small stool in the entryway that Riku gratefully sat on to rest and take off his shoes. Catching his breath and putting on a pair of new red slippers by the door, he glanced around the house. Everything seemed nearly the same as the last time he had been in his family’s home, until Riku started to make his way to his bedroom. Rather than the photo frames in the hallway being practically void of Tenn and following Riku as he grew up and graduated high school, they were all childhood photos of the twins and Tenn’s Rouge Pirouette performance posters. After lingering for a moment to take them all in, Riku shakily opened his old bedroom door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The room looked...so foreign, and yet so familiar. It looked nothing like the room he had left behind when he joined IDOLiSH7. Aside from a very obviously new full-sized bed, the room was exactly how Riku remembered it looked like when he was twelve. The desk where he’d do all of the classwork he missed while hospitalized for an attack, his small TV set on a folding table against the wall—wasn’t that his beanbag chair he had brought with him to the i7 dorms? Scattered on the wall were various drawings Riku had made while bedridden. Riku stopped in front of the wall and stared blankly at them. Tenn, Ensei, and Miyou were watching him closely from the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I,” Riku finally broke his silence, “I ripped these up, after Tenn-nii left us…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What?” Miyou questioned. “Tenn leaving? How would he know—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m here now, Riku,” Tenn stepped into the room and said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I know you’re here,” Riku said with misty eyes as he looked at Tenn, “but you weren’t...you left us, and I was upset, so I tore up my drawings. I regretted it, but now the drawings here again…and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> here, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> aren’t...” A few tears began to run down his cheeks, and he began sniffling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What is he on about…?” Ensei whispered. “Who’s the ‘they’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sweetheart, can we do anything for you?” Miyou volunteered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m just tired...I want things back…the way they were…” he nearly whispered as he returned his focus to the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn bit his lower lip and grabbed the folds of his pants in his left fist. “Let’s give him some time alone.” He put on a poker face before turning on his heel and ushering his parents away, shutting the door after him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku carefully took down a drawing of him sitting in bed and Tenn dancing for him. He studied it as he climbed onto his bed. “I’ve always wanted Tenn-nii and me to get along again, and he seems just like he did before he left. But...it isn’t the same. I miss everyone…” He let the picture flutter to his side as he hugged his knees to his chest and softly cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A half hour later, Tenn took a peek in Riku’s room. He had fallen asleep curled up with one of his old stuffed animals. Tenn crept in and covered him up with a throw blanket, then quietly rejoined his parents in the living room. “He’s asleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Miyou sighed with relief. “I thought he’d be happy to be home, but it only seemed to make him upset.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe he’s still confused, he was babbling about something or another again. He probably just needs time to adjust to being home again,” Ensei rationalized. “Let’s just let him sleep and hope in the morning he’ll be better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I don’t think it’ll be that easy...Tenn…” Miyou started carefully, “I know you were against it, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I know what you’re going to say,” Tenn cut in, heading for the phone. “I agree, we should do it, just for now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Early the next morning, the doorbell of the Nanases’ house rang. Tenn opened the door to a man in his late twenties with a mop of black hair and frosted tips. “Can I help you?” Tenn asked with an air of suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The man smiled brightly, “I was called yesterday about being an in-home caregiver? Sunohara Momose at your service!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Just Peachy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Tenn scrutinized every move Momose made as he entered the Nanase’s living room. He observed that he was carrying a lime green and bright pink diamond-patterned tote bag and wearing a small bright pink shoulder bag. He was dressed in a professional casual outfit. “You said on the phone last evening that you were certified for this type of work?” Tenn asked with a clear hint of judgmental doubt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momose chuckled lightly. “You expected someone who looked more like a nurse, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn raised his eyebrows, impressed that he read his attitude correctly. “Frankly, yes, I was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ehehe, well don’t worry, I’m fully certified for this job! I just like to do everything I can to make my clients feel less like patients and more like people. Especially since I know what it’s like to feel that way,” Momose’s bright smile didn’t fade, but the glimmer in his eyes dulled ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I see,” Tenn replied plainly, “I would like to see those certifications later, but I suppose for now I should review what is expected of you, since I will have to leave soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Lay it on me! I am here to serve!” he replied with a playful salute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “My brother is still incredibly frail and has preexisting respiratory issues that you must watch out for. I have already written up a list of ways to alleviate his symptoms. Do not let him overexert himself, or take him from the house too often or for too long. Do not get him overly excited, either. There are inhalers in his nightstand in his bedroom, in the bathroom medicine cabinet, and here in this kitchen drawer…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As Tenn continued to prattle on directions and give Momose the rundown of the situation, Riku’s bedroom door squeaked open. After a long yawn, Riku began shuffling out, using a cane to support himself. “Tenn-nii, who are you talking to?” When he reached the start of the hallway and turned the corner to see Momo talking to Tenn, he tripped over his own feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Leaping into action a hair ahead of Tenn, Momose rushed and caught a hold of Riku before he could fall to the floor. “Woah there, mister, let’s not go hugging the floor this early in the day, ahaha!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “M-Momo…san,” Riku breathed as he looked deeply at Momose’s smiling face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Wow, I must’ve been talking way too loud earlier if you heard my name! My sister has always complained I was a loudmouth growing up, guess she was right. Hey, you don’t look so good. What do you say we sit you down on the couch?” He began leading a dumbfounded Riku over to the sofa, with Tenn following close behind. “You must be Riku,” Momose said once he helped him sit down with him on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, try to breathe normally,” Tenn advised, “you look like you’re holding your breath. Sunohara Momose, perhaps you should give him room. He gets oddly frantic around certain new people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku let his breath go with a shaky sigh and shook his head, “I’m fine, Tenn-nii.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Using my full name’s so formal,” Momose commented, “why don’t you both just call me Momo, like all my friends do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Momo-san…” Riku said his name and held back tears. It was taking everything within him not to barrage him with questions. He painfully remembered the article on Re:Vale that Iori had read to him. Iori…</span>
  <em>
    <span>Iori would tell me to just stay calm and wait until I am better.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He sniffled loudly and forced out a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Momo-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Pleasure to work with ya!” Momo replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, are you hungry? I can make you something before I have to go to my meeting with Kujou-san downstairs.” Tenn began walking into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo’s face darkened momentarily as he gripped his knees tightly. He stood up quickly, his face returning to its previous warm expression. “I can do that, Tenn, that’s what I’m here for! Besides, wouldn’t want you being late!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With one more scrutinizing glance at Momo and a sigh, Tenn relented, “Very well, as long as you make something within his dietary plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course! We will be totally fine, won’t we be, Riku?” Momo flashed a toothy grin at him, almost setting Riku to tears, but Riku powered through and nodded quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you need anything at all, Riku,” Tenn began after he retrieved his bag and his shoes from his room, “I have my cell phone with me. After my meeting with Kujou-san, I’ll be going to the store to pick you up some more clothes so you don’t have to wear mine anymore. Our parents are at their morning jobs, but if you for some reason cannot contact me in case of an emergency, their cell phone numbers are also written down. It was good to meet you, Momo-san.” Tenn bowed in Momo’s direction, then went to the front door. He lingered after opening it, looking back at Momo puttering around the kitchen getting breakfast ready and at Riku who was still sitting on the couch looking somewhat pale. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku caught Tenn’s gaze and looked over at him. He smiled and said reassuringly, “I’ll be okay, Tenn-nii. Have a good meeting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     That was just the assurance Tenn needed. “Of course you’ll be fine, as long as you do as you’re told,” he answered somewhat sternly, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll call to check on things after my meeting. Goodbye for now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “See you later!” Momo waved with the pair of chopsticks he was using to scramble eggs. “Well, Riku, looks like it’s just you and me now! Think you can come eat at the table?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah, I can try,” Riku said as he slowly stood up. He teetered for a moment, grabbing the coffee table to prevent a fall. With a sigh, he grabbed the cane leaning against the arm of the couch and made his way to the table. He sat in his old chair, and almost immediately he felt the blood pulsing through his head. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to relieve the pressure he felt building. The next time he opened his eyes, he was reliving a memory of the morning he told his parents he was going to be a part of IDOLiSH7. He was at the table arguing with them and promising that he wasn’t abandoning them like Tenn did. The memory fizzled out and was replaced by another memory. He and his family had just sat down for breakfast. Miyou was placing a plate of omurice in front of him. On the plate written in ketchup was “Happy 13th Birthday, R—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “—iku? Rikuuuu~” Momo’s voice broke through his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku startled, his eyes finally focusing, the plate of omurice morphing into a plate of scrambled eggs and dry strips of toast. He was breathing heavily but managed to shake it off after a couple deep breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Welcome back to reality. You alright?” Momo asked with some concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I-I’m fine!” He picked up his fork and began eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo quietly watched him for a moment before sitting down across from him. Riku remained quiet too, his eyes cast on his eggs, as if they had the meaning of life hidden within them. “Say, why don’t we play a little icebreaker game!” Momo finally broke the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Icebreaker?” Riku looked up at him quizzically. He couldn’t help but immediately think of the icebreaker basketball game he and the rest of IDOLiSH7 had played when they first gathered for their first meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah! A little game to help us get to know each other, so it isn’t so awkward. We could play ‘2 Truths, 1 Lie’, how’s that sound?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku nodded as he swallowed another bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Great! Then I’ll start. Let’s see…” Momo tapped a finger on his chin as he thought up his options. “Ah, I know! My favorite drink is green tea, I used to go to idol concerts with my older sister, aaaand I broke my leg playing soccer in high school.” Momo exhaled sharply then continued with a smile, “Alright, now try to guess which one is the lie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku smiled mischievously. “The first one! Your favorite drink is momorin juice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Eeeehhh??!!” Momo jumped forward in his chair in shock. “How did you know that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ehehe, because I remember—” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t mention it, Riku.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “...I remember seeing a bottle of it sticking out of your bag by the couch, s-so I just guessed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo groaned and scratched his head in frustration, “Aw man, I ruined it myself! Ahah, oh well! Here I was thinking I could get you with the one about my sister and me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Do you still do stuff with her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We go out for lunch every month or so, but the group we both loved...it’s...not together anymore…” Momo’s expression had become very sad, and he gripped the sides of his chair tightly as he studied a scratch on the table’s surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku’s heart ached to see who he knew as his cheerful and determined senpai be so downcast. “Hopefully someday they will be reunited, or even find a way to be happier than they were before,” he tried to say with a small grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Rubbing a hint of a tear out of his eye, Momo brightly smiled at him. “That would be great wouldn’t it! I’d love to see them on stage again, even if I had to beg them on bended knee. Ah, I’ve been talking so much about myself! Riku, it’s your turn! But you better keep working on those eggs, they’re probably cold by now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Gulping down his emotions, Riku ate another mouthful as he considered what to say. “My favorite food is omurice, the longest I have stayed in a hospital is one week, and...I am a part of an idol—…” he bit his lip hard, until he tasted metal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo looked at him quizzically. “Riku? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He wanted to say everything was wrong. He wanted to say how wrong it was that Momo had never reformed Re:Vale with Yuki. To say how unfair it was that he had to keep quiet about everything he thought was true. Not able to bear it, Riku got up and rushed towards his room, at least as fast as he could rush while using his cane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hold on a sec!” Momo tried to hurry after him and stop him, but Riku pushed his hand away and kept walking away. Momo let him go to his room and shut the door, yet he pressed his ear against the door to try to hear what Riku was doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku collapsed face down onto his bed and grabbed one of his pillows to cry into. He stayed like that sobbing for a few minutes, until he heard a soft knock on the door. Sniffling and catching his breath, he responded weakly, “Come in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo came in and sat at the edge of Riku’s bed. “Maybe it was still a bit too early for you to talk about yourself with an almost-stranger. I bet it’s pretty frustrating and confusing, waking up seven years later and not knowing what life is like anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku rolled onto his back and sat up a bit. He tried to look at Momo but couldn’t, instead focusing on his own reflection in his TV set across the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Y’know, I think I might know a little of how you feel. When I broke my leg and couldn’t play soccer anymore...I was absolutely miserable, didn’t know who I was anymore. Then my sister took me to see Re:Vale, and I felt like life mattered again. But...after Ban-san got hurt and disappeared…and Yuki-san let that Kujou creep take him away…” Momo rubbed his nose and continued, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> bring Yuki-san and Ban-san back together, maybe then I’ll find out who I am again…” Momo’s mood shifted from serious to jovial again. “Have you ever heard that saying, that if you smile even when you’re sad, you can trick yourself into being happy? Turns out it’s kinda true, ahaha! It’s worked pretty good for me the past few years. But another thing that helps is doing stuff for other people. That’s why I do what I do. Making other people feel better and smile while they’re recovering makes me feel a little bit better. Anyways I was thinking, how about we figure out something we can do for your parents and Tenn to make them happy when they get home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku rubbed at his left eye and nodded, a small smile spreading across his face.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another friend made a comic (if you can call something a comic when it makes you wanna cry 😂) inspired by Riku seeing Momo for the first time https://twitter.com/ann_teasocial/status/1267101428910186501?s=21</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Incomplete Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am REALLY sorry for the unannounced hiatus!! T~T I had been working on another project, but now I should be back at it again with consistent updates!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>    Riku couldn’t remember the last time he had made a card for his parents, let alone his Tenn-nii. He had memories of helping Tamaki make thank-you cards and helping make the card for Re:Vale’s 5th anniversary party, but this felt very different. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once Momo had helped Riku walk back to the living room, he had Riku sit down on a cushion on the floor behind the coffee table. “Let’s just set an extra pillow behind you so you can use the couch for support. Now, just sit tight while I set up my bag of tricks,” Momo said with a kittenish smile. He retrieved his tote bag then sat down by the side of the coffee table to Riku’s right and began emptying the bag. “You gotta keep hydrated, so why don’t you have one of these.” He set one bottle of momorin juice down for Riku and another for himself. Next he pulled out a stack of various colors of construction paper, stencils, colored pencils, glue, and a pair of scissors. “Alright, now, let your creativity fly! If you aren’t allowed to go out of the house yet to buy a card, making one is just as good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I feel like a little kid again,” Riku couldn’t help but giggle and smile as he folded a piece of red construction paper to cut hearts out of. His hands were shaking as he tried to carefully cut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ahaha, it’s always fun to do stuff that makes you feel like that,” Momo agreed as he watched with a veiled look of concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku finished cutting out a rather sad-looking heart and was looking at it with disappointment. “Why is it still so hard?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “This is good practice for you though! And think about it this way, last month you weren’t able to do any of this. I’d say you’re doing pretty great!” Seeing not too much change in Riku’s expression, he thought for a moment. “How about this, I’ll draw the outline of the heart, then you can cut along the lines?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I can try, I guess.” Momo’s smile was too infectious to resist. He passed the paper over to Momo, who happily received it. Riku watched him draw half hearts along the seam of the folded end and noticed that Momo had been humming a somewhat familiar tune. “Momo-san, what song is that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Eh? I was humming that out loud? Ahaha, sorry, sorry! It’s...an old song of Re:Vale’s, the first one I heard, ‘Our Incomplete Selves’. I’ve been kinda training my voice, and that song keeps popping up in my head.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You sing, Momo-san?” Riku’s eyes lit up with hopefulness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ehe, I’m getting better at it. I wanted to make myself someone Yuki-san would be impressed with when I find him. An old friend of mine is paying for my training, even though he doesn’t think I should find him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Can you sing it for me, if you don’t mind?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe just the first half,” Momo carefully relented, “I’m still working on being able to sing the rest.” He sang the song, his voice more untrained and older than the voice Riku knew, yet there was still that smooth strength that made Momo’s voice work so well with Yuki’s. Once he finished, he cleared his throat and glanced over bashfully at Riku to gauge his reception of it. At the sight of Riku smiling—if you could call the near grimace holding back his tears a smile—Momo became frantic. “Ahh, I’m sorry! Was it my singing? Ah, I still get nervous singing in front of others, I probably sounded horrible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Rike shook his head and gulped down the offensive knot in his throat. “You sounded wonderful, Momo-san! It’s just...the lyrics…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo became more somber and nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean. The words meant so much to me when I first heard it, but it’s changed for me lately. ‘The light we're aiming for already looks so close by, but when I stretch out my fingers, I still can't reach…’” he quoted a line from what he had sung. “It’s kinda what I’ve been feeling. I’m so close to finding Yuki-san, but I don’t know if it’ll all go as I hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      “I really hope it does, Yuki-san,” Riku half whispered. Those words resounded with Riku as well, though for different reasons. Those bright and warm memories he had made with IDOLiSH7, TRIGGER, Re:Vale, and even lately ZOOL—seeing Tenn, Iori, Sougo, Momo and knowing they didn’t share these memories—Riku really did feel like he was trying to grasp out for them and just missing them. The burning hole in his chest was almost unbearable, until he realized Momo had continued talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “—kind of like how I felt when I was playing soccer. You’re trying to get the ball to the goal, but along the way some people might kick the ball out from under you and you have to fight to get it back. If you try hard enough and keep at it, you can take it back and kick it into the goal as soon as that perfect chance shows up. Now I’m just waiting for that perfect chance...Oh, I finished drawing!” Realizing the paper was still in his hands, Momo passed it to Riku. “Ready to give it another shot?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    A fire of determination in Momo’s eyes comforted Riku, maybe even gave him a bit of courage too. He nodded and meekly smiled, then picked up the pair of scissors. His hands still shook, but the finished products at least resembled hearts now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After proudly congratulating him, Momo suggested they turn on the TV. “We gotta start getting you in-the-know on what’s going on in the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     When Momo turned on the TV, a commercial was on, spanning over a sparkling oceanscape until it reached a close-up of a tanned man’s well-defined abs. The camera zoomed out, revealing a tall brown-haired man standing on a wake-board being pulled by a speedboat. It transitioned to the same man, now glistening in sweat, playing beach volleyball with an attractive woman. “After an invigorating day of activities, come back to the hotel for a romantic fine dining experience for two,” the commercial’s narrator said as the setting changed to a lowly lit restaurant with cozy tables. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I could stare into your eyes all night,” the man said in a low, sultry voice as he fed his date a strawberry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The scene changed one more time to a hotel room, with the woman now in a robe and lying enticingly on the bed. “Enjoy a steamy night after a rejuvenating shower in our luxury hotel rooms,” the narrator said as the man opened the bathroom door, steam curling around him as he dried off his hair. The camera panned down his body, showing he was shirtless and—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Uwaaa!” Momo exclaimed, “So erotic, huh? Maybe let’s change channels, I think that was a bit too much for you, hehe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku was not only blushing, but he was frozen in place due to recognizing the man in the commercial. “Th-that was...Tsunashi-san,” he finally managed to say while Momo flipped through the channels. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Eh? Have you seen one of his commercials before?” Momo stopped channel flipping to talk, leaving it on another commercial. Seeing Riku’s eyes locked on the TV still, he looked back over at the screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Want a </span>
  <em>
    <span>stimulating </span>
  </em>
  <span>experience practically anywhere on earth?” a man with light brown hair and in a half-open silk robe asked while lounging on his side in an ornate hotel bed. “At Midou Hotels,” he continued as he got up from the bed and walked towards the camera, “we make sure your experience is always heart-throbbing fun.” The camera zoomed into his chest as a transition into showing different hotel locations. “Whether it’s in the middle of Tokyo, in the snowy hills of Northmare, in the heart of New York City, or,” the view faded into a hotel room again to a couple covered in nothing but bed sheets, the man poised dangerously atop the woman, “in my strong embrace, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “The battle between the two sexy sons of hotel kings keeps getting hotter and hotter!” Momo exclaimed as he quickly resumed channel flipping. “Ever since Tsunashi made his step-son Ryuu the face of his hotels, the Midous have been really pushing Torao too. Ah, here we go, the news! Let’s get you up-to-date on the world!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku was still trying to get over what he had just seen. Not only was he flustered from seeing two ero CMs, but he was coping with seeing two more of his fellow idols. With all his might he pushed the thoughts out and put his energy into decorating his card for Tenn while listening to the TV.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     In the middle of a rather boring discussion of major companies’ latest stock prices, a breaking news bulletin interrupted. A female reporter was standing in front of an airfield as three people got out of a private jet. One of them was a strikingly handsome blonde man standing between another tall blonde man and a bulky man. As they started walking briskly for a black SUV, the reporter began updating on the situation, “It seems Prince Nagi Valhart has arrived in Japan earlier than normal this year! What could His Highness be doing here just as it’s beginning to get hot? Could it be he is here for the Magical Kokona movie premier at the end of the month? Stay tuned for when we find out more details!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The news resumed as normal, but it sounded like static to Riku as he stared blankly at the TV set. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The end of the month…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Riku’s mind was running a marathon as he slowly pulled his attention back to his project. As he wrote “Love, Riku” at the end of the card for Tenn, he spoke up, “Momo-san, do you think after this, you could help me with something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo muted the TV and replied, “Sure! What do you wanna do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku took a deep breath before he answered. “There’s somewhere I want to go, but I don’t want Tenn-nii or my parents to go with me. It isn’t super far from here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a hesitant expression, Momo carefully explained, “Riku...I would love to do that for you, but...it’s only my first day with you. If your family found out I took you out when you’re not ready...we would both get in a lot of trouble. Maybe let’s use wherever you want to go as a goal! Let’s…” he paused to consider before continuing, “Why don’t we give it a couple weeks? If you do all of your exercises and you have the strength, I’ll take you where you want to go. I’ll even help you do extra exercises after this, if you promise to eat extra at lunch to keep up your energy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      “I had a feeling you’d say that…” Riku still looked hopeful despite the heaviness plaguing his heart. “It’s a deal!” He bent his head and went to work writing a message in the card for his parents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      After a few more final touches, Riku put his cards for his parents and Tenn into envelopes Momo had made. He helped Momo clean up the art supplies and throw away the trash. After that, Momo moved the coffee table out of the way to make a large enough open area for Riku to move around in without falling into anything dangerous. Momo found the exercise plan from the doctor and began helping Riku go through them. Although they were simple exercises that most people would hardly break a sweat over, for Riku it was quite taxing. He pushed through, even doing more than Momo instructed him to do. By the end Riku was winded, and Momo made him use his inhaler before sending him to rest in his bed while Momo made lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku sat on his bed and caught his breath for a few minutes. He stared at the drawings on his wall, fixating on a rainbow in one of them. He bit his lower lip and slid off his bed. He wobbled over to his desk and opened one of the drawers, retrieving a small notepad and pen. Next he crawled back onto his bed and rummaged behind his pillow. Pulling out a slightly wrinkled business card, he turned back around and slumped against his pillows. He smoothed it out then opened the notepad and began writing.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“Sougo-san—FSC Tokyo branch</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>     Iori &amp; Mitsuki—Fonte Chocolat?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>     Nagi—in Japan until month’s end??”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku~! Lunch is coming through!” Momo called out as he brought in a tray filled with food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku hurriedly shoved his things under his pillows and smiled widely. “It smells amazing, Momo-san! Thank you so much!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ehehe, enjoy! Tenn called a little bit ago to say he’ll be home in a couple hours when your parents get home, so eat up so you can have the energy to greet them and give them their cards!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a nod, Riku eagerly dug into his lunch. His appetite was far greater than he had realized, and everything Momo had made was delicious. Was it just from working out so much or was it a returned sense of drive and dedication?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     In the mid-afternoon, Miyou, Ensei, and Tenn ended up coming home at the same time. Tenn came in first with several bags from a couple different stores. Momo welcomed them in before calling for Riku.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Welcome home, Mom, Dad, Tenn-nii!” Riku said cheerfully as he slowly made his way to the front room. He had gotten a short nap in, but he was still considerably tired. Nevertheless, he relied on his cane to get him to his destination. When he got to them, he handed Miyou a red envelope and Tenn a pink one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What’s this for, dear?” Miyou asked, smiling as she looked at the decorated front of the envelope with Ensei.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s just a little something I made, with Momo-san’s help, eheh,” Riku said with a slight blush. He watched his parents open and read the card while Tenn carefully opened his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The happy smiles on his parents’ faces melted into slight sadness as their eyes welled up while reading Riku’s words. Miyou was the first to wrap her arms around Riku, squeezing him tightly in a protective hug. “There’s nothing you have to apologize for!” she said with a quiver in her voice. “You are our baby, Riku, we will always do what we have to to take care of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “The club was far less important to us,” Ensei added, patting Riku’s back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn stepped closer quietly. “Never apologize to me again,” his voice was stern, a layer of pain clearly discernible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ten-nii…” Riku said in an injured tone as Miyou let him go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I made my own choices and I stand by them,” Tenn continued, “You don’t need to make anything up to me. I’m fine with my life as it is, all you have to worry about is making your own life. You don’t need to thank your family for loving and looking out for you.” A hint of a tear rolled down Tenn’s face, but he quickly wiped it on the back of his sleeve. He abruptly turned to Momo before Riku could say anything. “Momo-san, thank you for your work today. Mother will be home tonight while my father and I work, so you may leave now. We can expect you tomorrow in the afternoon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, yes, at 3:30 sharp! I’ll see you tomorrow, bye Riku!” Momo said amicably as he grabbed his bags and headed for the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Goodbye, Momo-san. Thank you for your help!” Riku waved, his face still wrinkled with glad confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once Momo was gone, Tenn retrieved his purchases. “Now, Riku, I have a little bit of time to show you what I bought you before I have to get ready for work. Orikasa-san will not appreciate it if I am late, so let’s hurry.” He began ushering Riku back to his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Orikasa-san?” Riku questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes, Orikasa Yuki. He is another performer at the Rouge Pirouette.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I...see…” Riku continued to his room without saying much else. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I wonder if Momo-san knows...I have to do something, soon.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mikansei na Bokura translated lyrics can be found here: http://azurillturtle.blogspot.com/2020/02/idolish7-our-incomplete-selves-mikansei.html</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. SPECIAL PREQUEL CHAPTER</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I did a little prompt request thing on my twitter, and one of my friends requested a prompt that reminded me all too much of a rejected scene I had had in mind for one of the first few chapters of ComaMem. So naturally, I had to write it as such and add it here for the rest of my readers.</p><p>So without further ado, enjoy(?) this short prequel chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>—3 years after Riku’s fall—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Kujou Takamasa and Tenn had finally returned to Japan from Tenn's training in New York. Tenn wanted to immediately go see Riku in the hospital, but Kujou had already scheduled back-to-back meetings with idol producers. Per their agreement, he had to do what Kujou wanted before he could make any selfish requests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After a tireless two weeks of interviews and meetings and watching Kujou yell and argue with several producers, Tenn felt drained. Although he hated to see how upset Kujou got after every rejection, he was grateful the interviews were nearly over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The last meeting was with Takanashi Productions, the smallest agency Kujou was willing to try out. At first Kujou wasn’t even going to bother setting up an interview and at one point almost canceled it. Nevertheless, after all the rejections, he was begrudgingly willing to stoop down and keep the interview. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn groggily showered, then robotically got dressed in his suit he had worn for all of the previous interviews. <em>I wonder if this suit is cursed now after all these rejections...</em>Pushing his morbid thoughts down, he walked to the door where Kujou had been waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Kujou’s gaunt face curled into a grin. “Very sharp-looking, Tenn. I’m sure you will more than impress these low-levels with merely a poised smile.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn half smiled, “I’ll try just as hard as I have at any other interview, Kujou-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a smooth chuckle Kujou put a hand on Tenn’s back and walked with him to the door. “That’s my boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     They caught a taxi from their hotel room to Takanashi Pro. Kujou was fidgeting most of the way—you’d think Tenn would have been the nervous one. In the middle of the trip, both Kujou’s and Tenn’s cell phones rang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s Takanashi—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s the hospital—“ Tenn said at the same time as Kujou spoke. They glanced at each other, neither one backing down from accepting their calls. Both ended up answering, trying to ignore the other’s conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What?! We are almost there! How dare you cancel!” Kujou raised his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Did it happen just now?! He’s still not stable??! Where are our parents?” Tenn's tone was frantic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “No, I do not wish to reschedule! Anyone willing to be unprofessional enough to cancel on someone who could breathe life into your dying agency is not worth our time!” Kujou angrily closed his flip phone with a huff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’ll be there as soon as I can, thank you for notifying me.” Tenn’s face was pale, and his hand quivered as he closed his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Still agitated, Kujou started to say, “Tenn—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn ignored him and addressed their driver, “Change of plans, please, I need to you go to this address, as quickly as possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn, what are you doing?” Kujou demanded as the driver took a sharp turn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku had a seizure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>      The rest of the car ride had been agony as he drowned out Kujou’s ranting over the decline of idol agencies’ professionalism. As soon as the taxi stopped, Tenn had left Kujou behind to deal with paying. He demanded Riku’s hospital room number from the front desk and immediately headed for the elevator. </span>Tenn’s vision was completely blurred by the time he was stumbling through the halls trying to make his way to Riku’s room.</p><p>
  <span>     Although it was just one floor up, the journey was long enough for old memories to flash through Tenn’s mind—the sound of Riku hitting the ground, the limpness in his body when the paramedics lifted him onto the stretcher. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Finally, Riku’s room. Tenn could hear a doctor discussing things as he opened the door. As soon as he heard the consistent beep of the heart rate monitor, Tenn’s knees almost gave out. He clung to the doorknob for stability as he walked forward. Miyou and Ensei turned and ushered Tenn further in with distressed and relieved expressions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Is...he okay now?” Tenn asked, locking his gaze on his brother. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He’s been stable for a half hour now,” the female doctor replied. “We will continue to monitor him, but it seems this was most likely an isolated incident. I’ll leave you three alone for now. Excuse me.” She looked at the three sympathetically before making her exit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Can I...be alone with him, please?” Tenn asked as he gently picked his mother’s hand off his shoulder and held it for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Oh, of course, dear, as long as you need,” Miyou said. She squeezed Tenn's hand before he let her go and then grasped Ensei's arm and left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once he was alone, Tenn collapsed down, dropping his head onto Riku’s arm. He began sobbing, his tears quickly dampening the sheet. “I’m—I’m...so sorry—Riku...I should have never left your side. I’m not going to leave you again. You’re never going to suffer by yourself again...I promise. I'll do everything I can to make sure you have a good life.” He looked at Riku's motionless face, and gripped the mattress, his eyes overflowing with tears once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After ten minutes or so, Miyou and Ensei returned to the room to check on him. He was now on his feet, using a damp washcloth to wipe Riku's face and neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     "Tenn..." Ensei spoke up, "your mother and I were talking." He waited until Tenn turned around to look at him before he continued. "Why don't you come back home? You could as Kujou-san to let you work in the club, and you'd be closer to Riku."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Glancing over his shoulder at Riku, Tenn was silent at first. "I'll have to discuss it with Kujou-san, but...I would like that. Is it okay if I sit here a bit longer with him?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     "Of course!" Miyou answered, "Let's all just sit for a little while, as a family..." </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Time Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HAPPY BIRTHDAY TENN AND RIKU!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Tenn stared at his ceiling for a few hazy minutes as he reminded himself that Riku was indeed back home and doing well. He tried to shake off last night’s memories of when he returned to watch over his brother by thinking back on Riku’s time at home. Riku had done everything he was told to do in that first week and a half. He went to his physical therapy every other day, he did his daily exercises and then some, and he ate every meal put in front of him. Momo monitored his progress closely as well, encouraging him to keep with it, but also keeping Riku from pushing himself too far. Tenn knew that Momo wasn’t telling him everything they did while Tenn and his parents were at work, and frankly Tenn couldn’t help but feel threatened by his presence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     But today, Riku’s eleventh day at home, Tenn had the day off. Tenn got out of bed and turned off his alarm a few minutes before it was set to go off. He shuffled quietly into the hall and peeked in through Riku’s partially ajar bedroom door. Riku was still sleeping soundly, his body cuddled around the quilt his mother had made for his birthday. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Riku barely lets that thing go these days...I wonder what made him get so attached. Such a little kid...</span>
  </em>
  <span> Tenn grinned like a proud parent when he heard Riku softly mumble and start snoring softly. He padded away and got himself ready for the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mentally planning out the day while he worked, Tenn prepared breakfast for Riku and himself. One benefit to Riku’s return was Tenn was finally eating well again to be a good example to his brother. He was still incredibly worried for Riku, even if he wouldn’t admit it when his parents or Kujou tried to ask. Riku’s personality still didn’t seem quite like what Tenn was expecting. He had always envisioned he would be able to pick up right where he left with his brother, but instead he ended up with someone who behaves like an eighteen year old who at times acted very distant with him. All of that talk about an idol group and some other life Riku was convinced he had lived...Was he not happy being back with Tenn and their parents? He just needed more time to remember—probably...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn pushed down his plaguing thoughts and resolved to make this a good day off. He fetched Riku from his room and ate breakfast with him. Their conversation mostly consisted of Riku rambling about a show he had been watching on TV last evening and Tenn recounting something that happened at Rouge Pirouette last night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It was very peculiar,” Tenn began to explain, “Kujou-san tried to conceal it from me since I was just about to perform, so I only learned about this second-hand from Orikasa Yuki-san before we closed. Someone has been following Kujou-san for at least the past week. Kujou-san never outright told me, though I suspected he was, due to a time he mentioned feeling a pair of eyes on him while he was alone in his office. It would seem that whoever it is broke into Kujou-san’s office in the club and left a note for him. They said that if Kujou-san did not fire me, they would ruin Kujou-san’s reputation. According to Orikasa-san, Kujou-san seems to know who it could be and claims he will take care of it himself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You aren’t in any danger, are you, Tenn-nii?” Riku asked with pointed concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It doesn’t seem like it’s something to worry too much about. If Kujou-san knows who it is, he will swiftly resolve it, as he does with any problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you say so…” Riku picked at the rest of his omelette and stared vacantly at his plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything...You can trust Kujou-san, Riku. He has many connections and is quite clever in many subjects.” Riku almost said something but shut his mouth into a frown, prompting Tenn to try his best to reverse his mood. “Hey, Riku, maybe in the afternoon, if it isn't so hot, we can go for a short walk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Immediately Riku’s countenance changed. “Really, Tenn-nii? Outside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Just for a walk down to the konbini and back. You can pick out a treat too if you’d like,” Tenn smiled, satisfied with his success. “But you need to finish eating and get started on your exercises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With the prospect of finally being let outside weighing on his mind, Riku had eaten the rest of his food with enthusiasm. He got dressed and headed back out to the living room. Tenn had been puttering about preparing the room for Riku’s exercises. The floor was excessively clear of any possible hazards, and a hoard of pillows from around the house lined the area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii...You know you don’t need to do all this. I’m pretty stable on my feet now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’re unpredictably clumsy, we need to stay prepared,” Tenn said as he walked over to lead him the rest of the way to the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku internally sighed. It was always a very different atmosphere when Tenn was around to help him compared to how Momo handled things. Momo reminded Riku of one of IDOLiSH7’s dance coaches, always cheering them on and monitoring at a distance, yet not afraid to step in and point out what needed improving. Tenn was...a helicopter parent. He was always right by Riku and would often reach out and grab Riku’s arm if he so much as made the tiniest misstep. There was never any room for extra exercises, Tenn insisting Riku followed the workout regimen to the detail and not overtax himself. He even controlled much of Riku’s time when their parents were home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     This behavior was nothing new for Riku: this was exactly how he had been while Riku was still gaining strength in the clinic. Riku had appreciated it there, since he honestly had missed getting so much attention from his Tenn-nii. But that month Riku hadn’t been as determined as he was now. More than ever before he felt that sensation of being smothered by Tenn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Alright, thirty seconds is over,” Tenn said as he clicked a button on a stopwatch. “Riku. You can get out of that wall squat now. Thirty seconds is over, I said.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m fine, Tenn-nii!” Riku shifted his back against the wall to better hold his position. “Momo-san’s been helping me, and I’ve been practicing this on my own. I can hold it for almost a whole minute now! Just let me try, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With an exasperated sigh, Tenn held the bridge of his nose. “You’re so defiant as of late. Fine, but you’re going to rest in bed for five minutes longer after this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii,” Riku almost whined, “I don’t need to rest that much longer! I haven’t even needed to use </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> today.” With a nod of his head he gestured to his cane leaned up on the wall next to the couch. “Momo-san lets me—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Momo-san again…” Tenn muttered. “Alright that’s long enough, go sit on the couch so you can do your arm exercises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku swiftly pushed himself off the wall and without much trouble walked to the couch. Yet Tenn was still by his side, ready to snatch his arm if he saw Riku falter. “See? I can walk on my own even after doing that squat longer,” he said confidently, gently pushing Tenn’s hand away as he was about to help Riku sit down. “I’m not an invalid anymore, Tenn-nii.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn pursed his lips in an attempt to contain his words. “I know that, but you still have to be careful of your health,” he finally said in a cool, stern tone. He placed two hand weights in Riku’s hands and watched him start easily doing bicep curls with a pout on his face. Glancing at the paper, Tenn read over the exercise list and noticed the note at the bottom that he usually ignored: </span>
  <em>
    <span>If strength improves, increase weight or repetitions. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He sighed heavily. “Riku, put the weights down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “But Tenn-nii...I haven’t—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn ignored him and went over to the cabinet where they kept equipment. He took out a set of heavier weights and brought them over. Without a word he gave them to Riku. “Start over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii…” Riku smiled and began trying to curl the weights, this time having mild difficulty yet still able to handle it. “This feels better!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “...You’re still resting extra after this.” Tenn crossed his arms while he watched Riku’s every motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We’re still gonna go for that walk...right, Tenn-nii?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Another sigh. “After you rest...yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku nodded with a giant smile and went through the rest of his exercises, determined to get them done before Tenn changed his mind. Once he was done, he tried to nap as he was instructed, but Riku found it difficult. This would be his test trial if he could handle traveling with Momo to the Zero Arena. It was difficult to settle down with that in mind. Eventually he did manage to sleep until it was late lunchtime, when Tenn had come to get him. He scarfed his food down, earning a lecture from Tenn about chewing his food well enough. Riku squirmed and sighed until Tenn finally finished eating and began to get ready to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, be sure to grab your cane...” Tenn advised after retrieving his wallet and house key from his room. “just in case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Losing a little of his pep, Riku retrieved the cane from against the wall and went to the front door to put his shoes on. “I’m gonna try my best not to use it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You could always lean on my arm as well if you get too tired out,” he offered as he put on his shoes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hehe, thanks, Tenn-nii, but I wanna do this on my own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you insist...come on then,” Tenn said with an exasperated smile as he opened the door and held it open. “The outdoors await.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With the widest grin Tenn had seen in a while, Riku walked out the front door. The reasonably fresh air tousled his hair and felt so comforting on his face, encouraging him to have confidence in himself. Not even two weeks ago he had struggled to climb these stairs, now he was going to climb down them a stronger person. Carefully he took the steps one at a time with Tenn patiently and closely by his side. He conquered the stairs with little struggle, then Tenn led him past the front of Rouge Pirouette to walk towards the konbini. Riku looked up at the sign and front doors as they passed and noticed the large poster of Tenn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii, do you like performing?” Riku asked rather bluntly as the two walked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn quietly considered the question. “I love it. I wish...ah, nevermind…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What is it, Tenn-nii?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It isn’t possible right now anyways, don’t mind it. I need to take care of you first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii, please…” Riku tugged on Tenn’s arm, “tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a sigh, Tenn relented, gazing at the lazy clouds above. “Kujou-san prepared me for a large audience. Of course, I love our dedicated customers, and my performances are perfect. But I want my voice to reach a larger audience, to see countless faces smiling back at me from onstage.” His head fell and he stared at the ground a few feet in front of his steps as they continued. “But Kujou-san wouldn’t bend to any agencies' terms, not that I fault him, we must keep to high standards. So it simply isn’t possible. Don’t look so sad, Riku...Look, we arrived.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku looked to his side and saw they were in fact at their destination, and Riku was barely breaking a sweat. He smiled at Tenn proudly as he opened the store door and walked in. Most of the layout was different from what he had recalled the last time he was in his hometown, but the atmosphere was very nostalgic for Riku as he meandered up and down the aisles with his brother. Eventually he chose strawberry pocky, while Tenn chose a frosted donut with sprinkles. To ensure Riku was doing well enough before heading back, the two ate their treats outside the store. They exchanged contented smiles as they finished their food and threw away their trash.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “This reminds me of when we were children,” Tenn mused. “We used to come down here together for treats all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a vague smile, Riku nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Do you...not remember?” Tenn did his best to mask his emotions. He knew there were still gaps in Riku’s memories, but the reminders still hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku looked down at his shoes and fiddled with the wrist strap on his cane. He didn’t have the heart to say that he remembered all the lonely trips to this konbini when he was a highschooler but barely remembered going there with Tenn. “I only remember one or two trips…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “...That’s alright. We can start doing it again, maybe it will bring back more memories,” Tenn tried to smile reassuringly at his brother. “Well, we should get you home now. How do you feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I feel great! We can go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The two made their way back home mostly in silence, Tenn occasionally pointing out new businesses that had shown up in the last seven years. Once they got home, Tenn wanted to send Riku to bed again, but Riku resisted in order to ask him something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii? Do you think some time soon I could see you perform at the club?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Thinking for a moment with his hand to his chin, Tenn answered, “I suppose it would be alright…perhaps next week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yay! And, do you think, I could invite Momo-san to come along too? I wanna thank him for helping me so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you really want to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thanks, Tenn-nii!” Riku hugged his brother before obediently going to his bedroom. Once he shut the door and crawled into his bed, he rolled onto his side and smiled at his calendar on the wall. Just a few more days to go until he prayed he would get some answers.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. August 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Riku was sitting on the edge of his bed staring at today’s date: August 17, the day Momo agreed he would take him to Zero Arena. Tenn and their parents had had the morning off, which was spent taking Riku to a physical therapy appointment. They had just gotten back home, and now the three were getting ready to go down to work at Rouge Pirouette. Momo was set to arrive any minute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, we’re heading out now!” Ensei called from the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku left his room to say goodbye, leaning against the table and watching his family putting their shoes on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What will you and Momo-san do today?” Miyou asked as she wiggled her heel into her second shoe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Mmm, nothing much...probably do my exercises then relax the rest of the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Good, you shouldn’t do too much today, since you worked so hard in therapy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku nodded with a small smile, walking over to let his mother kiss his forehead and say goodbye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’ll text you to check in and make sure you are actually resting,” Tenn said as he allowed Riku to hug him before he left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Don’t worry about me too much, Tenn-nii, I will get plenty of rest today!” he smiled brightly as he watched and waved as his family took the stairs down to work. In the distance walking up the sidewalk, he saw Momo approaching. Riku watched him wave at the Nanases as they were about to enter the club and begin to head up the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey, Riku!” Momo said cheerfully, this time only arriving with a fluorescent pink backpack instead of his usual shoulder bag and tote. “Looks like my timing was perfect today, ahah! How’re you feeling today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hi Momo-san! I’m excited for our trip today!” Riku replied eagerly as he shut the door behind Momo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Good to hear! How’d your parents and Tenn handle the news that we’re going far enough from home that we need to take the train?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku turned away as casually as possible and began rummaging through a drawer to find his inhaler. “Ehe, they were...okay about it...Tenn-nii almost said I couldn’t go, but I convinced him…” He bit his lip, then forced a smile before he turned back towards Momo. “We should get going soon! I already took a nap and had lunch, so I’m all ready!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo’s eyebrow perked while he received Riku’s inhaler and put it into his backpack. “I’m impressed they all agreed, seemed like Tenn was pretty against us going for that longer walk the other day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “My therapist said I’ve been doing well, so I just reminded them of that and promised to rest up as soon as we get home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well that’s great then! Alright, sounds like you oughta grab a jacket, then we can head out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku internally sighed in relief and hurried to grab a jacket. He pulled on a red hoodie and slipped his cell phone and list of names into the front pocket. When he returned, Momo and he left the house. They walked to the nearest train station, which left Riku slightly winded and grateful for the break to sit and wait for their train to arrive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     While they waited and once Riku had fully recovered from their walk, Momo let Riku wander a bit in the station. He meandered around, getting reminded of the many times he walked to this station himself to visit the Zero Arena. His lonely reverie was abruptly interrupted as he realized someone in the station was playing the guitar and singing. Somehow the voice sounded familiar to Riku, so he briskly walked towards the person performing off to the side. There were a couple of people standing in front of him, but Riku could just make out the singer’s general appearance. He was slightly taller than Riku and had reddish burgundy hair and wore slightly faded clothes with a worn leather jacket. His singing wasn’t perfect, though it had a unique growl to it that Riku recognized as soon as he listened long enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Touma-san…” he stifled himself from exclaiming as he got a clear view of the singer’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Before Touma could finish his song, he suddenly stopped singing at the sight of a police officer glancing around in the near distance. At the same time, the train Riku and Momo had been waiting for was pulling in, and Momo was calling for Riku to hurry and come back over. Riku looked back at Momo, then to Touma. Could Riku really let him slip out of his hands when he was right here to talk to and figure out why he was singing in a train station?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Touma began frantically shoving his guitar into its case and addressing his small audience. “Thanks for listening! Remember, I am Inumaru Touma, previously the vocals for NO_MAD! If you know anyone in need of a singer for their group, please keep me in mind.” He snatched up a short stack of business cards and respectfully yet briskly passed one to each of his listeners, including a perplexed Riku. Riku tried to speak to him, but Touma was already sprinting towards the exit of the station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, come on,” Momo gently turned him around by the shoulder and said. “We don’t wanna miss this train and have to sit around for the next one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “S-Sorry, Momo-san!” Riku apologized and briskly followed Momo onto the train after stowing the card in his pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You’re looking a bit pale, Riku,” Momo commented as they stood in the somewhat crowded train. “Are you sure you’re okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku nodded and wore a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry about me, Momo-san, it was just a bit chilly in the station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe we should get you a tea before we go to the arena—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s fine, once I get out in the sunshine I’ll warm right up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you say so then,” Momo said as he searched Riku’s face through a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After a short ride, the train arrived at their stop and Momo and Riku got out. The atmosphere of the station and the familiar layout elicited a memory to resurface in Riku’s mind. Riku remembered how after winning against ZOOL, he had felt drawn to visit the Zero Arena on his own. He had been in a pensive mood that day, never expecting to run into his brother while visiting there. After having spent so long trying to focus on this new reality and recovering, however, Riku was struggling to remember what he and Tenn had talked about once they had run into each other at the railing overlooking the arena. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “So, Riku, why the Zero Arena?” Momo unintentionally broke Riku’s thoughts to ask. “You never really said why you wanted to go here so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well...” Riku fished in his mind for a sensible excuse. “We used to go there often, and Io— someone mentioned to me that it was renovated while I was...you know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo nodded in understanding. “Ah, I get it. They did a great job with the changes! It looks even better now. Lemme know if there’s anywhere else close by you wanna visit too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thanks…” Riku smiled at him before they made their way out of the station and headed for their destination. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     As they followed the familiar path Riku would take, a pit began to form in his stomach, filling with an unsettling feeling of dread. His goal, the moment he has been anticipating for over a month, is just within his grasp. What if he found no answers there? What if he just stayed rooted in this near-nightmarish reality? Was the future he had been looking forward to living with IDOLiSH7...never going to happen? Every step made these questions drag his feet towards the ground even more. Doubt crept in his mind if he even wanted the answers to these questions— he hadn’t even considered what he would do if this life he was currently living was the only one he had left to live now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     It was visible in the distance now. They were on the very steps IDOLiSH7 and their manager had comforted Iori after the debacle at MuFest. Riku could barely command his feet to drop to the next step, his will wavering. Momo caught his arm as he nearly stumbled over the last step.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Careful!” Momo warned, giving him a concerned glance as they stepped down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, s-sorry! Just miscalculated, ehehe…” Riku scratched at his cheek and tried to play it off. He made his way to the railing to the lookout point, and stopped suddenly. “Momo-san...can I... have a moment alone?” he asked him with a wavering voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo, seeing how much Riku was struggling to keep a brave face, nodded and stepped away to sit on the steps. Riku approached the railing, grabbing onto it to support his trembling legs. Zero Arena looked...completely different. It had a more modern facade, nothing like what he had remembered in his most recent memory with Tenn. He stared blankly out at it, scarcely able to wrap his head around it. There was no way they could have renovated it this much in the month or so that he had been recovering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     None of it was real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Everything Riku had thought was reality—IDOLiSH7. TRIGGER. The new Re:Vale. ZOOL. None of them had been formed. To the world, those names meant nearly nothing. His head reeled as the world within his mind crumbled. His eyes fell from the arena and ended up focusing on the cord bracelet on his wrist. A pang shot through his mind as a faded memory of his childhood surged into him. He recalled being twelve years old, frantically searching around the house for his birthday gift for Tenn. Now he remembered giving up and tearfully having to make a card for him instead. Vividly their thirteenth birthday passed into his mind— not the one he remembered where Riku celebrated it without his Tenn-nii, but rather a glad day spent together doing all of the things they loved. His grip on the railing tightened as his chest began to heave and tears began to land on his hand and the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      As the gaps in his memory began to fill, his legs quaked and gave out, making him collapse to the ground and cling to the bars. The rush as his body dropped made his vision darken as another blocked memory arrived to rear its ugly head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku remembered the fall. He remembered hearing Tenn yelling at him, then his parents. The feeling of his grip slipping and his foothold failing, the sound of the air rushing past his ears, the numbing contact with the ground. The darkness...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Subsequent to Riku collapsing to the ground and blankly, widely staring at the water, Momo rushed from the steps to Riku’s side. “Riku! Riku, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” he tried to get his attention, tugging at his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Using a bit of force, he peeled Riku’s hands from the bars of the railing and fell back, pulling Riku towards him and sitting on the ground with him. Once in Momo’s arms, Riku began to sob uncontrollably, “It was just—a dream! All just one long dream!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Everything had returned to him now. He really had fallen and really had been in a coma for seven years. The pain, the joy, the failures, the successes, the relationships Riku had known for five years were mere dreams of a comatose child. All those days he spent building strength and ignoring much else than his goal... He suddenly regretted the time he had spent the past month not really appreciating the family he had and not really considering them as his real family. Tenn had in fact left him, but he did return to help take care of him. Even Momo he had taken for granted, yet here Momo was holding him while Riku sobbed years’ worth of tears. Tears over the loss of his dream world and over the years he lost in the real world poured out of him as he clinged to Momo’s arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku…?” Momo asked when he felt Riku’s body stop heaving and heard his sobs subside. He loosened his hold and tried to look at his face. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Slowly, Riku nodded, not looking up at him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and sniffled through speaking. “I’m s-sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey, it’s okay,” Momo tried to say with an encouraging grin. “Why don’t we try to stand and move to a bench?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku agreed, and Momo stood up then helped Riku wobble to his feet. He allowed Momo to help him walk a few feet to a nearby bench. Finally calmed down, Riku released a shuddered sigh as he sat down with Momo. They stayed there in silence for a few minutes, waiting for Riku to be ready to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I remember everything now…” Riku hoarsely announced, his hands finding the items within his hoodie pocket and fiddling with them vacantly. “I know the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “The truth?” Momo parroted with a curious expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He nodded and sniffed. “Everything I thought happened was just a dream...and I remember falling...and now I—” His voice choked and he breathed sharply. “I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t even know who I really am.... What if I’m not like the ‘me’ in my dream?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      Momo considered Riku’s words carefully before replying. “Do you feel any different than the ‘you’ that you thought you were?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Not really, no…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “And did you like who you were?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It was difficult sometimes, but...I was really happy too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Well then,” Momo sat back a bit as he reasoned, “make that dream a reality if you can. If that’s who you thought you were, and you still wanna be that person, stay that way. It doesn’t just have to stay a dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Making the dream…” Riku quoted to himself and gripped the piece of paper with his friends’ names in his pocket. A fire returned to his eyes and a determined smile curled his lips. Rocking himself up and off the bench, he spun to face Momo with newfound energy. “Momo-san, there’s somewhere else we have to go, right away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Eh? Where?” Momo asked with a shocked tone while sitting up straight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “A place called Fonte Chocolat.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A Piece of Cake, Right…?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Due to Octobryuu, I'll be taking a month break from ComaMem to spend the entire month of October in Ryuu brainrot. I'll try to update ASAP once November rolls around~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     “Nii-san, I brought all of the crates into the back room. Is there anything else you need me to do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thanks, Iori! You don’t have to worry about anything else, just grab a table and work on your homework. I know you’re itching to get to it. I can handle closing up shop.” Mitsuki grinned at his younger brother as he began to undo the ties to his apron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “If you still need help, I can spare a few more minutes,” Iori tried to insist, though his eyes flitted to his bookbag and laptop case leaning against the inside of the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mitsuki pulled off the apron and draped it over his arm while giving Iori a doubtful smile. “Seriously, Iori, just go get your work done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Whatever you say, Nii-san…” Iori concealed a smile as he grabbed his things and went to his favorite table by the front window next to the window display case. Eagerly he pulled his laptop out and set it up with his business management textbook and notebook of prestinely well-logged class notes on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     While Iori set to task alternately flipping through his textbook, pouring through his notes, and typing up documents on his laptop, Mitsuki fell into his rhythm of work. He went about wiping the counters and tables down. He spun about replacing the small vases for flowers on each table, ensuring they were in the right spots. As he began mopping the main floor, he quietly hummed a few bars from “Dis one.”, but he abruptly stopped and remained quiet. Iori didn't even look up from the notes he was adding to his notebook as Mitsuki mopped near him, rather just stretching his legs up so that Mitsuki could clean the floor under his feet. It was often like this: Iori silently plowing through his books while Mitsuki put his time and energy into helping run their parents’ patisserie. Despite their lack of dialogue, the brothers had a connection that surpassed the need for words, often communicating merely through body language or actions. Mitsuki observed his brother’s sober expression as he worked, his own face sporting a perplexed look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey, Iori…” he began, but Iori raised a palm to silence him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “One moment, Nii-san. Allow me to finish this thought.” His fingers tapped away, leaving Mitsuki to lean on the top of the handle of the mop. After two or three minutes of Mitsuki sighing and fidgeting while waiting, Iori stopped. “Now, what was it, Nii-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I was just gonna offer, if you ever wanted to invite some of your classmates over for a study group— the hell?!” Mitsuki bent forward, squinting past Iori to look through the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “What’s the matter, Nii-san? E-Ehh?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He was met with a faintly familiar face of a red-headed young man cupping his hands around his eyes so he could look into the shop. As soon as they made eye contact, the redhead became excited, tugged on the sleeve of the man with him, and approached the main door. Finding the closed sign was already on the door, the man briskly but politely knocked on the frame.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “We’re closed!” Mitsuki yelled to him, getting disgruntled and protective very quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, I’m not here as a customer! Iori, it’s me, Riku!” the redhead spoke through the glass door and tried to wave at Iori. The man with him tried to pull him back gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori mentally ran through the list of people he knew as he cautiously rose from his chair and approached the door. It finally dawned on him where he remembered him and unlocked the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Iori, what are you doing—?” Mitsuki protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s okay, Nii-san, I-I sort of know him. He is that hospital patient I had visited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Oh—</span>
  <em>
    <span>OH</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Mitsuki gaped a moment as Iori opened the door and allowed the two entrance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     At first, Riku stared back at him, smiling then looking to Iori, then back to Mitsuki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sorry for the intrusion, I’m Sunohara Momo, this guy’s in-home nurse. Riku, shouldn’t you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah, s-sorry! I’m Nanase Riku. I was...I was in a coma a little while ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mitsuki stared at him, looking the man up and down. He looked rather frail; his clothes were his size, yet they still hung loosely from his atrophied frame. There was a tremble in his legs and a flash of newfound determination in his teary eyes. He was looking at Mitsuki as if he was looking at an old friend, yet this was the first time Mitsuki and he had met. Now understanding what Iori had meant about being caught up in this man’s aura, Mitsuki cleared his throat and blinked hard as he propped the mop against the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Izumi Mitsuki at your service. You look pretty worn out, Nanase-san; why don’t you and Sunohara-san come have a seat,” He suggested, hurrying to the nearest table and pulling one of the chairs out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku gratefully sat down, taking a moment to sigh and stare at the brothers Izumi again. Momo thanked Mitsuki as he passed him and sat down. Iori, his curiosity mounting, crossed his arms and stood at the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nanase-san, what has brought you here outside of our business hours? Surely it cannot be healthy to be out and about away from home. And you,” he said, turning his lazer-precise sights on Momo, “as his caretaker, shouldn’t you have had him home already? It hardly seems suitable to have a man in a condition like Nanase-san’s away from home after nightfall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Feeling quite lectured, Momo opened his mouth to retort, but closed it, having the feeling anything he tried to say would be met with more lecturing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     However, Riku giggled to himself, another wash of tears surfacing in his eyes. He wiped them away with the end of his sleeve and looked to Iori. “I need your help, Iori. Could you hear me out, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m gonna go get us some things to drink and eat,” Mitsuki announced, feeling a bit out of place and heading into the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After watching his brother leave, Iori felt slightly ill at ease, but he could see Riku seemed much improved since the last time they had met. Then again, the last time they had met, Iori had apparently crushed some sort of dream Riku had been living. Frankly, part of Iori was relieved to see him again after feeling responsible for distressing a bed-ridden hospital patient. He pulled his chair up and sat down with them, waiting silently for Riku to explain his purpose for being here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Seeing Iori willing to entertain him filled Riku with a small shred of hope. He squirmed in his chair to sit up straight and tried his best to think of how to explain this to Iori. With a glance at Momo for reassurance and taking a bracing inhale, he began, “I lived another life while I was in a coma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori arched a brow skeptically, crossing his arms again and preparing to regret letting these two in their patisserie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m sure it sounds crazy, but it’s true...And, well…” Riku continued anyway, searching his mind for what could possibly grab Iori’s attention best. “I was in an idol group, IDOLiSH7 under Takanashi Productions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You mentioned that name the last time I met you,” Iori commented, slowly beginning to grasp why he had been so distressed that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “M-Mhm… There were seven of us in that group, and you and Mitsuki were a part of it. You joined so Mitsuki could finally be an idol. And we were all pretty good friends. And there was TRIGGER, our rivals at first, but we became friends too—well… Tenn-nii and I were still trying to get along, that was one of my last memories from that coma—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>      “What kind of fool do you take me for?” Iori interjected, his posture even more stern and lecturing, making Riku shrink down. “How can you expect me to believe you could have had such a vivid dream? You and I have barely even spoken, a-and you only just now met Nii-san. It’s astronomically impossible that you could have dreamed up a complex world while comatose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku hung his head and bit his lip. Of course it wouldn’t be easy to bring Iori into this. Burning tears stung his eyes as he brought his head back up. There was no going back. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get Iori on board. There was no way Riku could do what he wanted to do without him. With a clenched fist, he spoke shakily, but boldly. “But it’s also a miracle I woke up after being in a coma for seven years! A-And how would you know what’s possible, you’ve never been in a coma, have you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The strong emotions coming out of this fairly frail man goads Iori’s heart. The passion behind his red irises, the determination in his set eyebrows, the trill to his voice….it was all endearing in a way. Though he did have a point, how could Iori really fight when he doesn’t have a personal experience comparable to Riku’s. He sits silently a moment, finally relaxing back. “This...IDOLiSH7… you said not only I, but my brother was a part of this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah, you were always nagging at me and nitpicking, but you promised to make me a star and make IDOLiSH7 a success. We were doing really well, too! We had just won the Black or White award again, and we were all just happy to be together as seven again. Mitsuki even hid in the bathroom to cry a little bit again, ehehe…” He recounted with a bittersweet smile as he relived the memories from his coma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “That does sound like Nii-san…” Iori commented to himself as he continued to absorb this information. “You mentioned needing my help. What do you expect from me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With another deep breath, Riku states his request with a sharp bow forward that almost caused him to whack his forehead on the table. “Please help make my comatose memories a reality and form IDOLiSH7 with me!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Crestfallen Night (SPECIAL CHAPTER)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So. I wrote this through a roleplay. At 1AM. While I was super emo. With myself. As Tenn and Riku. It takes place somewhere between chapters 7 &amp; 8, while Riku is building strength to be able to be discharged. *Enjoy*</p><p>The next chapter is still in progress and will hopefully be ready soon!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     It had been a while since I was able to sneak back into Riku’s room to sleep, but tonight I was finally able to slip past the night staff. I didn’t have any time to even borrow a cot; I planned to simply curl up on a chair with a blanket and consider that my bed. Riku was doing well; he could use a walker to get from the side of his bed all the way to the door to his hospital room. Turning around and getting back to bed, however—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I tried not to think about the last time he had fallen as I positioned a chair to face his bed. He had already been asleep for a couple hours, but I had trouble settling down. Tucking my knees nearly to my chest, I shifted around in the chair and draped myself with one of the spare thin hospital blankets. It wasn’t an optimal sleeping position, but I was used to it enough that I fell asleep eventually....</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ngh...IDOLiSH7’s the best—“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I was sleep-talking again... I startled myself from yet another unsettling dream. Looks like it was time to start up my new routine. I weakly rolled to my side, gasping slightly as I see Tenn-nii huddled up on a chair. He really cares a lot, doesn’t he...? He looked pretty deep in sleep, so I thought I could take my chances and work around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Carefully, I sat upright, waiting a minute for my head to stop rushing. Tenn-nii looked angelic even as I stared at him with dizzy eyes, a halo swirling around his candy floss hair. I had to do this, to try to get out of here sooner and get to the bottom of what happened to IDOLiSH7 and the others. And return to the other Tenn-nii I knew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I cautiously slid my feet to the floor, the rubber pads on the bottom of my socks giving much needed traction. Grasping the handrail at the foot of my bed with not even half the grip I remembered having, my knees knocked. I took small, shuffling steps around the side of the bed to hold onto the foot of it so I could reach my walker. It’s just within my grasp, so I pulled it towards me. I winced as it made a bit of clatter on the floor, and I looked back at Tenn-nii to make sure I didn’t wake him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “....I’m never leaving...Riku...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “...</span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess even Tenn-nii talks in his sleep sometimes, eheh…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” I think to myself. Here goes nothing. With as strong a step forward as I could, I began practicing walking. I got to the door, panting and wiping a cold sweat from my forehead with the back of a frail hand. This still didn’t feel like </span>
  <b>me</b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Struggling to lift something as stupidly light as my walker, I quietly grunted and turned around. It must have been too fast, because the dimly-lit bed in front of me was spinning like someone was speeding up the secondhand of a clock. Hey...why is...the bed....side...ways.... Not agai—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A loud clatter behind me and a sound of pain from Riku startle me out of my dream, and I fling myself out of the chair. Panic squeezes at my heart, stopping it for a moment as Riku’s empty bed steals my focus until I hear faint crying from behind me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku—!” I almost shout as I see him in a crumpled heap, his walker on top of him. “What are you trying—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I-I hate...this...” I feel so defeated... frustrated...trapped. In a fit of turbulent feelings, I try my best to throw my walker off of me, accidentally hitting Tenn-nii in the shin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ah— Riku...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I didn’t care if it hurt when his walker collided with me. Seeing my brother in this way was already more pain than I thought I could stand. I rush to his side and try to grab his arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Are you okay, Rik—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Still obviously upset, he smacks my hand away and snaps, “Do-Don’t...! Do-Don’t touch...m-me...!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He’s never struck me before— I wince and draw away from him as if he had stabbed me in the heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, please...Let me help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I-I don’t.... want help... This... This isn’t m-me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Even in the dim light, I could see the agony in his red eyes. I blink away the tears pricking at my eyes and watch him struggle to sit up. His hand slips on the smooth floor, and I almost jump at the chance to catch him. But I stop as I watch a flare of anger take root in his eyes, and I sit back on my heels and tightly press my hands into my knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I nearly hit my chin on the floor as my hand slips, but with enough frustration making my heart swell with more power, I growl and push myself up to sitting. Getting dizzy immediately after, I slump against the door, the thump of the back of my head echoing in my lifeless room. Not knowing what else to do, my frail frame begins to shake as hot tears slip down my ugly, gaunt cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     He’s crying. He won’t even let me touch him. What did I do wrong? I’ve been here as much as possible for him, even fought once with Kujou-san to get time off once more this week to be with him. I couldn’t take it. If I couldn’t hold him and try to comfort him, at least I could sit with him. Dropping my head, I stare at my hands and just listen to him sob.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “It’s—Noth-Nothing’s right!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Right...?” I look up, eager to see if he would talk more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “L-Look at m-me! I-I’m... a skeleton! I-I wanna dance! Even...just </span>
  <em>
    <span>walk</span>
  </em>
  <span>! B-But my body doesn’t listen!” His voice sounds choked, and it’s still hard for him to speak clearly. But words still spill out as he keeps his eyes closed tight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     I dig my nails into my knees. This wasn’t the Riku that I knew either. My Riku was a ray of sunshine during a typhoon… “I know... I can’t imagine how hard it is. But you’re getting better—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “I do-don’t care!! Ju-Just leave me al-alone! Y-You don’t...get it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Riku...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I... I can do more... I know it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I lived it</span>
  </em>
  <span>... But it— Nothing’s the same.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     I was frustrated now. This wasn’t just an emotional break, this was the temper tantrum of a child. You can’t expect a boy who fell asleep at twelve to wake up and suddenly behave like a rational adult. I straighten up and get on my feet. Uprighting his walker, I forcefully set it nearby. Regardless of any protests from him, I pick up his skinny frame from under the arms and guide him up to the walker again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I tried to flail and whine at Tenn-nii when he picked me up like a baby doll, but I am cut off as I shakily end up standing on my feet and holding my walker again. Furrowing my brows, I look at him. He somehow looks more like my Tenn-nii right now...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Te-Tenn-nii...?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “If you can do more, walk to your bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     In my silence, I lick my dry lips and lift a quavering foot. Almost tripping again, I feel Tenn-nii’s hands grip my arm. The shaking won’t stop and I sink to the floor again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “I-I...can’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Exactly. You cannot. Accept it.” It hurt to have to be stern with him, but he can’t get this defeated. “But you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>improving</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I cannot just wave a magic wand and give you what you want anymore. Follow what your doctor tells you, and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> get there. I am here to help you, whether you want it or not. Hate me if you want. I’m not going anywhere, Riku. Now. Let me help you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I sniffle and look at the reaching hands of my twin. With a weak nod, I place my thinner hands in his. He gently pulls me back to my feet, hugging me. I shudder into him, gripping his shirt and sobbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Finally... He’s relying on me... “It’s okay, Riku... I’m here... You’ll keep getting better, and then you can come home.” As I pet the back of his head and speak soothingly, I guide him back to his bed and help him lie down. “Promise me. No more getting up from bed in the middle of the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After being on the chill floor for so long, I melt into the warmth of my hospital bed and tuck myself under the sheets and my mom’s quilt. At Tenn-nii’s request, I chew my lips and slowly nod my head. “I pro-promise, Tenn-nii.... N-No more...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Good boy...” I smooth his bangs down and smile, trying to mask the pain still squeezing my heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, how about I hold you like I used to, to help you sleep better?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “O-Okay...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     I raise the head of his bed to the right angle, then move him forward a bit so I could slip onto the bed behind him. Gently I pull his shoulders back, letting his head rest on my chest. “There... How’s this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     This was familiar... comforting... My racing heart was already calming after a minute. “I-It’s n-nice...” A yawn slips out of me as my eyes slowly shut. I was exhausted, emotionally and physically, but the calm pace of Tenn-nii’s breathing soothes me until I fall asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>————</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     I sigh in relief and rest a hand on his while my other hand strokes his head. It was not long later that I saw his chest rising and falling slower. He was already asleep, thank goodness. Settling my head against the pillow, I close my eyes and pray I can fall asleep just as quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Sleep well, Riku... I love you...”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Take a Leap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Holy crumbs I went through a horrible spell of writer’s block, but I am back with a new chapter!! Turns out it was because I was forgetting I write best when listening to idol music. I’d like to thank my oshis Ryuu and Mari for helping me knock out the last 1.1k words in one sitting.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     This was the most excitement Fonte Chocolat had seen in ages outside of special cafes and events held there, but even those were getting formulaic. Mitsuki couldn’t understand what Riku would want with Iori, considering the two had barely any history together. Nevertheless, he did know how fascinated Iori had been with this guy both times he had met him, so he decided it would be fine if he slipped away to the kitchen to let them talk. Not like Mitsuki was needed, he thought to himself as he waited for the kettle to whistle. Seemed like most days Mitsuki only had Fonte Chocolate to worry about. Iori was stubbornly independent and led such a well-kept university life that there really wasn’t much mentoring or guidance for him to give his little brother. Naturally, he was happy to be practically running the place for his parents now. At least it was a profession with enough creative expression to keep him from having a quarter-life crisis, but this wasn’t his original dream career…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Aimlessly pulling out a bowl of cream puff filling he was saving for tomorrow morning’s pastry prep, Mitsuki’s mind wandered. He had trained for years for his dream to become an idol ever since he first saw Zero, a legendary idol that had disappeared a few years back. Training tirelessly to sing and dance, pushing himself past his limits, studying the ways popular idols carried themselves, there wasn’t a thing Mitsuki didn’t do to perfect his abilities. Yet, it was all in vain. Mitsuki was never good enough. Tryout after tryout. Rejection after rejection. He had gotten so pathetic that he let Iori try to be his manager and bargain with agencies. Mitsuki just wasn’t who people wanted. They would ask if Iori was interested in becoming an idol and would hardly give Mitsuki a second glance. Iori always turned them down gracefully, only making people like him more. It took Iori’s graduation to snap Mitsuki out of this pipedream he had been holding on to for too long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Iori, are you insane?! You are going to college, end of story.” Mitsuki was genuinely angry as he stood between Iori and the front door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nii-san don’t shout—” Iori tried to get past his brother to leave to throw out a stack of papers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mitsuki pushed him back and yelled louder, “This is the perfect time to shout! There’s no way you’re going to sacrifice your future because of me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “But there is a chance if I just kept trying to approach agencies this season, I could find someone willing to take you on. I can go next semest—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Iori, this is your </span>
  <em>
    <span>future</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he put his hands around the other side of the papers, pushing them up for Iori to see. “All of these colleges want </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Nobody wants me, heh…” The smile on his face was mingled with irony and masked pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nii-san…” Iori’s eyes began welling up, and he nearly crumpled the stack of acceptance letters in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Iori.” He slid his hands over his brother’s and squeezed them to emphasize his words. “I’ll be fine. Really. The dream is over…I’ll work towards taking over Fonte Chocolat, and you work towards your own future, okay? Let me do this, as your big brother, just this once listen to me, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nii-san… just—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Iori. No. It’s done. I’m moving on to a new chapter. It’s...time to accept reality, heh…” He dropped his arms to his sides and faked a smile filled with bravado.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’d do anything for you, Nii-san… If this is truly what you want...Alright.” Smoothing out the papers in his hands and accidently letting slip a half smile of relief, Iori nodded. “I’ll go make a pros and cons list to narrow down my options.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Good luck choosing!” Mitsuki managed to say through the lump tightening in his throat. No matter how much Mitsuki demanded his eyes to stay dry, he headed for the bathroom and mourned the loss of his dream for quite a while that day. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     The kettle cried out, startling Mitsuki from his thoughts as he pulled out from the fridge a tray of cream puffs with no filling in them. With a forlorn sigh he slid the tray next to the bowl of filling then hurried to the stove and moved the kettle to a cool burner. He took out four mugs and poured hot water into them. While he dropped in the tea bags, he heard Iori’s voice. He sounded a bit challenging and inquisatory, then the impassioned voice of their younger guest stopped him. Mitsuki couldn’t really hear what was being said, so he let it rest for now and began adding filling to four cream puffs. With a proud smile over one of his specialties, he powdered the cream puffs with confectioner’s sugar. This might not have been his first dream, but baking definitely was a happy place for Mitsuki. The four mugs and four small plates sporting a dessert went onto a serving tray that he began to carry out to the rest of the group.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey guys, I hope you like cream puffs—” He stops short as he catches the tail end of Riku’s entreaty to Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “—form IDOLiSH7 with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “IDOL...iSH…7…” Mitsuki repeated the word he heard Riku use. He’d never heard it before, but it was obvious it had to do with idols. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Not again… We were supposed to be past this. Why does he always get the offers for </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>my</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> dream? I’ll always be in my little brother’s shadow…</span>
  </em>
  <span>” His mind was whirring with negative thoughts, showing through on his slightly lowered, darkened face as he stood behind the main counter. The room had fallen quiet, except for the soft rattle of ceramic against ceramic as the white-knuckle hold Mitsuki had on the tray made its contents shake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “N-Nii-san…” Iori turned in his chair to look at Mitsuki, and upon seeing his abysmal expression, he stood up in case Mitsuki needed help. “Are you ok—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey… Riku-kun… why are you trying to steal away my brother?” Mitsuki’s tone was far less friendly than before, his head down and the tray shaking a bit louder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “E-Eh? No, that’s not it at all!” Riku tried to explain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He just got his life on track, and he’s happy. Iori doesn’t need to run towards that useless dream anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “U-Useless?” Riku was beginning to get upset, his breathing quickening and a faint rasp creeping into his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Nanase-san, please, look out for your health. Nii-san, wait, you did not hear everything Nanase-san said,” Iori insisted, hurrying up to his brother and carefully peeling the tray from his grip. “Just sit down, and let Nanase-san explain what he meant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The steady gaze of his brother convinced him to listen, slowly walking to the table and sitting down apprehensively. “You know how I feel about idols, Iori…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” Iori prefaced, both for Mitsuki’s benefit and to make things clear to Riku. “Nanase-san was just explaining his full situation to me. I’ll admit I thought he was a raving lunatic at first, but I am inclined to listen to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku contorted his face into a scowl, though quickly a bittersweet expression between a smile and a grimace replaced it. “Just as sharp-tongued as ever… A-Anyways, I promise I am not trying to steal Iori away from you! You see, I had another life while in a coma, and Iori and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were a part of it! And we were in an idol group of seven—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “IDOLiSH7,” Mitsuki filled in with the name he had heard earlier. His expression was scrutinizingly pensive and his tone flat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “R-Right,” Riku said, his nervousness mounting. Hearing Mitsuki say the name with no emotional attachment was painful, but somehow a comfort to hear his group-mate say it. “And we all worked hard to create something colorful and amazing, and we sang together as one. S-So I wanted t-to ask you and Iori to join…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “My goodness, you really do need my help,” Iori interjected as Riku continued to crumble under Mitsuki’s intense stare. “Before I totally agree to this, I would like to speak to my brother, alone, if you will excuse us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After a meek nod of approval from Riku, Iori took Mitsuki into the kitchen. Immediately Mitsuki had found his voice again. “Iori, how many times have we been over this? My dream is dead. Just let it go! And you’re really gonna listen to some kid who— no offense to his condition, I feel bad for him, really— who just waltzes in here and, and tells you about some life he dreamed up while comatose? You’ve gotta see how crazy this all sounds!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori balled his fists at his sides. “Nii-san, when did you stop believing in other people’s dreams and become so cynical?” His voice came out louder than he meant it to, startling Mitsuki into silence as he slumped his hips back against the counter. “You haven’t truly been yourself since that day, Nii-san…” he said more gently, a pain detectable in his voice. “You told Nanase-san a moment ago that I am happy. However, that is a lie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mitsuki was blindsided. “A lie? Iori… But you’re in college, a-and you always look so proud of your work. You’ve always said you were happy...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Iori shook his head. “It’s not my dream, though. Seeing you accomplish your dream: that was my dream. I put it away for a while since it was what you wished. But seeing your reaction just now… This isn’t my Nii-san anymore. You’ve lost your sense of hope, your ability to dream. If you cannot do that anymore, then perhaps it is my turn to take that up. There is something in Nanase-san’s sincerity that makes me think that I can trust him. I could be completely wrong, but…” He stepped forward and looked Mitsuki in the eyes, a pleading mist shading his gray irises. “On that day, you told me to do one thing for you. Well, now I am going to be selfish and ask you to do something for me. Believe in your dream once again, and let me try this last time to make it come true. You wish for me to be happy, correct? I will be happiest if I can find a way to bring you happiness too. And if that happiness means I must become an idol too, then I will. If it’s a dream good enough for Nii-san, then surely it is good enough for me as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Mitsuki was silent for a while, soon putting his hand across his eyes and mumbling to himself. “Damn it… I really thought I could just forget about it… Just shut off my emotions and never reach for that painful, unreachable dream ever again. But this whole time you’ve been holding onto it for me, huh?” A smile crept across his half-covered face, accompanied by a stale laugh that soon became more genuine. “You really are a stubborn little brother, aren’t you? And you don’t ever ask me for anything, so there’s really no saying no to you. But you need to promise me one thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Hope sent away the cloud around Iori’s countenance as he looked at his brother who had now removed his hand so that he could face him. “Name it, Nii-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Don’t quit your university unless it’s totally and completely unavoidable. Stay in college and complete all of your courses. I want you to still have a back-up when this fails.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “</span>
  <em>
    <span>If—</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Iori corrected him, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>If</span>
  </em>
  <span> this fails. I will do anything in my power to make sure failure doesn’t happen, Nii-san. Nevertheless, I will accept your terms, as I also do not wish to quit that which I have already started.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “As expected of my little brother, heh.” A more youthful grin grew on Mitsuki’s lips as he stood up straight and ruffled up Iori’s hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “N-Nii-san…” Iori almost protested, but that nostalgic smile and action from his brother made him cherish the moment instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Well c’mon, let’s not leave our guests unentertained for any longer! I don’t want those cream puffs going to waste either.” Putting a hand on Iori’s back, he gently pushed him out of the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     While they had been gone, Momo had retrieved the tray and distributed two sets of plates and mugs between himself and Riku and placed the rest in front of Iori’s and Mitsuki’s spots. Riku was carefully sipping his tea, trying to remain calm. Momo was enjoying a bite of his cream puff, setting it down and trying to swallow quickly when he saw the brothers emerge from the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “These are delicious!” Momo exclaimed in a chipper attempt to lighten any previous tension in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     The compliment was well-received by Mitsuki, who replied with a pleasant smile as he returned to his seat. “I’m glad to hear, I take pride in my cream puffs. It’s one of my original recipes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Th-The tea is tasty too,” Riku tried to add, slightly afraid if Mitsuki was still as upset as he seemed earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “It’s a calming blend,” Mitsuki maintained his smile as he took a sip himself. “Riku-kun, sorry about getting upset with you earlier. Idols have been...a touchy subject for me recently. But after talking it over with Iori and making sure we agree on some things… He and I have agreed we will help you out, as long as he still stays in college and I still help out here when I can, since I can’t leave our parents in a rough position.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Any visage of fear melted away from Riku’s face and gave way to trembling excitement. “Really!? Honestly and truly!? Iori, Mitsuki, thank you!” Tears welled in his eyes as he lurched over the table and hugged them around their necks, nearly spilling Iori’s tea in the process. “I’m so relieved!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “N-Nanase-san, honestly, be careful!” Iori chided, though a gentle smile couldn’t quite be masked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Ahah, you’re welcome, you’re welcome,” Mitsuki patted Riku’s back in return before he pulled away. “Now don’t let that cream puff go to waste!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Right!” Riku said while wiping his eyes with the heels of his hands. Happily he took a large bite, getting filling on his chin. “Eheheh, it’s so good, Mitsuki~!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After they had finished their refreshments, the four of them shared contact information and agreed to soon set up another meeting to discuss their next plans. It was now well past the comfortable time in which Riku wanted to be home, so he made sure he didn’t get distracted on the way back to the station. They would still get back before anyone else, so this trip should still be a secret, Riku hoped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once on their train headed back, Riku gently swung his legs as he thought about the occurrences of the day. “Momo-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yeah, Riku?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Thank you for today…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With an affectionate but somewhat rough side hug, Momo smiled until his eyes disappeared. “It was no problem at all, Riku! But remember, as soon as we get back, it is straight to bed with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Yes sir!” Riku said with a big smile.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Step on Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>Riku spent the train ride home bright-eyed and rubbing his thumbs over the sides of his cell phone as he studied Mitsuki’s and Iori’s phone numbers. Of course they were different from the ones he had memorized within his comatose world, but the names attached to them still carried the same level of familiarity. He put his phone away once the train stopped, then craned his neck to look down the station to see if Touma was still there. Not seeing any sign of him, Riku said a prayer hoping that he was okay as he hurried after Momo who was leaving the station. While they walked the rest of the way home, Riku had been mulling over the next steps in his plans, until he noticed that the sun seemed to be going down faster than he thought it should be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Hey, Momo, what time is it...?” Riku asked apprehensively as they walked deeper into the city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Mm, it’s ten ‘til six. At this rate Tenn might get home before us if he is let out on time, ahah. I bet he will be proud over that, his brother being able to be out for longer than him without getting tired too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Gwah— L-Let’s hurry and get back home, Momo-san!” Riku yelped out as his heart sank deep into his stomach and a knot of panic began to turn in his throat. He nearly tripped as he took a crooked step forward, his foot crossing into his own path, but Momo caught his arm and slipped Riku’s hand over his forearm, as a wordless urge to use it to stabilize his footing. In his typical stubbornness, Riku pushed away his arm and began a weak jog down the sidewalk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “O-Oi, Riku! Don’t run! You’ve done enough already today!” Momo called out to him while trotting after him to try to stop him. He caught up to him once Riku reached the staircase next to Rouge Pirouette, where he hesitated in order to catch a wheezing breath. Momo put a hand on Riku’s shoulder, about to lecture him to calm down as he retrieved an inhaler from his bag. Had it not been for the dizziness clouding his vision and the wobble in his legs, Riku would have pushed away the cursed sight of that right-angled plastic tube of medication. Just as he accepted the inhaler after Momo had shaken it well and popped the cover off the mouthpiece, Riku noticed the front doors to the club opened up. Out emerged Tenn, a costume draped over his arm and a neutral expression morphing into protective anger and concern at the sight  of his ashen-faced, wheezing brother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku, what happened? What are you doing out here?! Momo-san, what did you let him do??” Tenn was a flurry of demanding questions as he rushed forward and thrust his costume into Momo’s bewildered arms in order to better attend to his brother who appeared to be in great distress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “But I thought Riku said you knew—” Momo began to say, quickly getting drowned out by Tenn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “‘Knew’? I nor my parents heard anything. Come upstairs right this moment and do explain everything to me. Riku. Take one more breath from that. Then get on my back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “T-Tenn-nii…” Riku stuttered out, but Tenn pushed the inhaler back to his lips, prompting him to do as he was told. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Once Riku had finished and sighed out a more even-kiltered breath, Tenn turned around and hunched over, squatting down slightly, ready for Riku to climb on. Incredibly reluctantly but knowing he had no other choice than to obey his obviously angry brother, Riku let out another shaky exhale laced with the bitter taste of his medication. He hopped up and linked his arms around Tenn’s neck loosely, letting his head hang down ashamedly. Tenn grabbed the back of Riku’s skinny, dangling legs and lifted them up until Riku was securely on his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Are you sure you don’t want me to hel—” Momo again tried to speak, but Tenn’s steely glower shut him up quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “I never should have trusted anyone else with his care. Follow me and we will have a discussion.” Tenn huffed and began heading up the stairs, ending any chance for Momo to say more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Never did a journey up a set of thirty-six steps feel as tense and never-ending than the one these three men took. Riku took a breath as Tenn finally let him get down and stood on his own legs on the top landing while Tenn unlocked the door. Wordlessly Tenn flashed an admonishing glare at Riku and Momo to instruct them to enter the apartment once he pushed the door open. They did as signaled, heading inside nearly at the same time, though Momo allowed Riku in first and kept a hand on his back in case he stumbled. Momo nearly felt the need to sit seiza-style before Tenn with how fiercely he was glaring at him. Nevertheless, he followed Riku’s lead and sat on the couch with his hands nestled between his closed knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     At this moment for Riku, however, this might have been the most Tenn seemed like the brother Riku had known in his coma memories. It was both a comforting yet unsettling feeling, as if he were looking at Tenn through a pane of hazy glass that had become warped from years of harsh sunlight striking against it. All of this was mere afterthought for Riku, since there were far more pressing concerns poised dangerously on the blade of his exhausted mind. His lie to Momo, his lie to his family, the happenings of his outing, his plans for the future… all of this would have to be brought to light and judged if Riku wanted any hope to do what he wanted. Just as Riku spaced out from his mind spinning with ways to go about salvaging this situation, Tenn’s voice pulled him back to reality. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “You. Momo-san. Tell me what happened.” Once his command was given, Tenn rigidly stood with his arms crossed and a terse expression on his porcelain-skinned face. His foot passively tapped on the rug while he awaited explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Momo squirmed under the pressure of Tenn’s searching gaze then cleared his throat. He began with an earnest tone, “I am seriously sorry, Tenn! Riku told me that your parents and you had approved an outing since he did well enough at his last appointment. I thought for sure you had known, and I watched him carefully the very best I could! Even when he got upset at the Arena, I managed to calm him down. Same as when we were at the patisserie, I caught him before he got too upset. It was just on the way home that he got agitated and his health got worse—” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Words spilled out of Momo’s mouth, his story bouncing around a bit, much to Riku’s dismay as he watched his brother’s face contort with irritation and mounting impatience. He wished he could have controlled how the truth came out, but there was no turning back time now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn cut Momo off to backtrack on his incomplete facts. “‘Arena’? Did you make him go to the Zero Arena?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “He didn’t make me do anything, Tenn-nii!” Riku interjected finally, his fists balling defensively in his lap. “We took the train to Zero Arena because I needed to go there…” His voice trailed off as the pain of the day’s realization yet again settled on his chest with the weight of a small elephant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Tenn could see Riku’s demeanor had dropped to frustration and regret, almost immediately acting as an antidote to the poison in his tone. He relaxed his rigid stance and finally sat down in the chair adjacent to his twin. “Riku… why did you need to go there? If you wanted to see the new renovations we could have made a family trip when you are a little stronger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku bit his bottom lip and shook his head slowly. “I had to go on my own…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “....On your own…” Tenn’s gentle frown contorted into pained confusion. “It feels like that’s all you have wanted to do since you woke up...like you don’t need me at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Tenn-nii…” Riku tried to form the words to deny him, but perhaps there was more truth in what Tenn was saying than Riku wanted to admit. He had woken with the mindset that he had been without his brother’s help for years, finding it somewhat easy to be alone despite also wanting his Tenn-nii’s attention. But the one right in front of him, the one wishing to help in every way he could, </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> his Tenn-nii, he just couldn’t see it before. Sure Tenn seemed like an overbearing helicopter parent at times and got in the way of Riku’s goals, but he had never truly lost patience with Riku during this time of confusion. Tears beaded in the corners of Riku’s eyes as he stared into the eyes of his brother— his real brother. As much as he clinged to the Tenn in his comatose dream, the person next to him was his actual brother, and it was about time he finally put his faith in him and told him the truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Tenn sat back in his chair with a pensively blank expression as Riku finished giving a summary of what had happened that day. “So… Much of the source of your depression and confusion all this time was due to that life you thought you were living before you woke up… It all makes sense now...” His eyes traveled to Momo, who he gave a mildly apologetic bow while still sitting. “I see now that this incident was mostly due to my brother taking advantage of your kindness and patience, Momo-san. Forgive me for perhaps getting too angry with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     With a nervous laugh and a forced casual smile, Momo waved him off with both hands as a bead of sweat slipped down his face. “I-It’s fine really! I should have made sure with one of you directly, or at least stopped him sooner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “And Riku. I suppose I understand why you would feel an attachment to the life you dreamed of having. However, none of that is real. What you see before you is, and it is far more healthy to put aside those dreams and live safely grounded in reality. What worth is there in chasing a life you think you had that really never existed?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     No matter what reality, Tenn was never one to mince words. Riku winced at the curtly true words Tenn challenged him with before replying, “You don’t understand… It’s not just my life I want to get on track… It’s the rest of IDOLiSH7 and the others I knew. They are all here and real, and their lives right now seem much sadder...” He looked up from his knees with hints of moisture glimmering in his eyes while he stared at Tenn. “And yours especially, Tenn-nii…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “...Mine? Why mine...?” Tenn asked with a higher inflection than normal before clearing his throat. “My life is perfectly fine. I have what I need right here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Are you sure you do…? Because the Tenn-nii I knew…” Riku licked his dry lips and looked down at his hands again. “He looked so much happier on a big stage in front of a smiling, cheering audience. He had two groupmates who treated him like family, and even though they went through their struggles, they were still coming out even more amazing than anyone thought they could...” He looked up at Tenn, a bittersweet smile curling his trembling lip. “I wanna see that Tenn-nii again, smiling so happily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Riku…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     A nagging feeling that Tenn had been pushing down for what felt like eons was beginning to swell and push past the barrier around his heart. All of the times Tenn’s legal guardian Kujou had turned down the offers made by production companies, it had nurtured a seed of frustration within Tenn. After he had completed his training to become the perfect idol Kujou had wanted, all he was doing was wasting his talent on a successful yet small-scale club. Kujou had made it Tenn’s dream to be a successful performer, but for the sake of caring for his ailing brother, he had been more than willing to shove his own desires to the wayside. The more he stared into the earnest eyes of the one he sought to protect most, the more those feelings rose and took root in his heart once again. Could what Riku saw really come true in this reality too? It would be a miracle if it did. Then again, the fact that Riku was even here sitting and breathing on his own was a miracle already. Maybe, just maybe, this living miracle could make it happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     After what felt like an eternity of silent staring, Tenn replied, “Alright. I’ll give you one chance to try to make this happen. But the </span>
  <em>
    <span>moment</span>
  </em>
  <span> I sense you are overtaxing yourself, I will put an end to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Riku’s misted eyes widened as he straightened up. “Really!? I promise, Tenn-nii, I won’t let that happen! I’ll do my best!!” Leaping from his seat, he threw his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly and let joyful sobs shake in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     That being the most enthusiastic hug Riku had given him in years, Tenn startled a moment before softly smiling. “You make it so hard to say no to you…” His indulgent side falling a bit, he pushed Riku away and gave him a stern look. “Now, go to your bed and rest until dinnertime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Of course, Tenn-nii!” After thanking both Tenn and Momo, Riku hurried off to his room, collapsing backwards onto his bed with a giant smile on his face. It didn’t take long at all for his eyelids to start to droop. Before slipping into a contented sleep, he mumbled, “I’ll get you back soon, IDOLiSH7…~”</span>
</p>
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